Guwahati: The All Assam Naga Welfare Society (AANWS) has expressed strong resentment over a Bihu song performed at the mega Bihu dance event organized at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati for creating Guinness World Records.
The AANWS, an organization of the Naga people living in Assam said the organizers should not allow such a song, which is humiliating for the Naga community, to be performed at an international event.
A total of 11,304 Bihu dancers set a Guinness World Record for the ‘largest Bihu dance at a single venue’ on April 13.
The event was organized by Assam cultural affairs department to take the traditional Bihu dance form to the world stage.
The AANWS said that the song, okora Nogake bhinihi buli matilu majoni oi performed by Bihu exponent Ranjit Gogoi has hurt the sentiments of the Naga people.
“We condemn the song performed by artist Ranjit Gogoi in the event to create the Guinness Book of World Records. The song has humiliated the Naga communities,” AANWS president Shompha Wangsu and general secretary Manto Konyak said in a statement.
Besides AANWS, other Naga civil societies or organizations, including community-based organised councils and student bodies have also sharply reacted to the song.
“The song with derogatory lyrics against Naga people by well-known artist Ranjit Gogoi is not acceptable,” AASWA president Shompha Wangsu said.
He said that Assam is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural state where each and every ethnic group is conscious about their own identity and culture.
“Ten indigenous Naga communities with a 2.5 lakh population have been living in 11 districts of Assam since time immemorial. We are an integral part of Greater Assamese society and culture. We really feel proud to be a part of this society, but most of the time, we are facing discrimination and negligence in different ways. So we, all the indigenous Naga communities of Assam, are strongly against such derogatory lyrics and defaming our community,” he said.
The AASW also demanded an apology from artist Ranjit Gogoi for the song.
“We also demand an unconditional apology from artist Ranjit Gogoi for the song. Otherwise, we will be compelled to take legal recourse as well,” he said.