Bishnu Prasad Rabha

Bishnu Prasad Rabha (1909–1969) was an Indian cultural figure from Assam, known for his contributions in the fields of music, dance, painting, literature as well as political activism.

As an advocate of people's cultural movement, he drew heavily from different genres of classical and folk cultural traditions.

Considered a doyen of the Culture of Assam, the Assamese people affectionately call him Kalaguru (meaning: "the master of the arts").

He is also called by Marxists as Sainik Silpi (sainik "soldier", Silpi "artist") for his active participation in the armed struggle, led by the Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI).

Bishnu Prasad Rabha was born in Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India on 31 January 1909.

His mother's name was Gethi Mech and father's name was Raibahadur Gopal Chandra Mushahary, who was working as a police under British regime.

He was born to a Bodo family, but since he was raised by a Rabha family, he adopted 'Rabha' surname.

Bishnu Rabha attended Tezpur Government High School and later went to Calcutta for higher education.

He completed his ISC exam from St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College and joined the Ripon College (now Surendranath College) at the University of Calcutta for a BSc degree.

From an early stage, he played an active role in the struggle for Indian Independence.

He came to be influenced by left wing ideas and came closer to the Communist Party of India.

However, when Germany attacked Soviet Union during second world war and the Indian communists decided to work with the British government, a section of the party favoured a different approach – to oppose British imperialism and European fascism simultaneously.

So, a split happened in the communist party and in 1945 he finally joined the Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI).

He even said that the independence achieved in 1947 was simply a farce.

It is because in spite of the freedom the poor and weaker sections of the society that remained the same and Assam did not get independence from colonial India as sovereign Assam was not established.

According to him, the real struggle begins after 1947.

Apart from being a revolutionary, he was also worked as an academician and researcher.

This was despite the fact that due to participation in freedom struggle he was forced by the British colonial regime to leave Ripon College at Calcutta and he transferred to Victoria College (now Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College) at Cooch Bihar.

He was not able to continue with his formal studies even there, due to frequent raids conducted by the police against his hostel and was compelled to give up his formal educational career forever.

The level of influence exerted by the Kala Guru can be observed through the fact that most cultural music competitions of Assam feature a segment called Bishnu Rava Sangeet related to his compositions, lyrics and verse.

Bishnu Prasad was an established singer.

He had learnt Borgeet of Shrimanta Shankar Deva and gave the genre a new significance for the modern times.

There are more than hundred songs composed by him.

In 1951, after the death of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, he became the president of the Assam branch of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).

His work Bano Kobang portrays the life worlds of various indigenous Assamese communities of Assam.

His other works include Missing Coneng, Sonpahi, Axomiya Kristir Hamuh Abhakh, and Atit Axom.

His interest for the upliftment and liberation of the weaker sections of society is visible in his works.

Rabha was an eminent freedom fighter.

His meaning of freedom however is not simply freedom from British rule.

But it meant freedom from capitalism, freedom from wage-slavery, freedom from poverty and all social evils.

In his own words, "I am fighting for a revolution from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom".

He dedicated his entire life for this freedom movement.

He donated an ancestral estate of 2500 bigha land received from the British government in favour of the peasants.

His slogan was "Haal Jaar Maati Taar" means "those who cultivate should own the land".

The present day Tezpur University stands upon the land donated by him.

His entire life was characterised by a restlessness to work for the people, and he kept on moving around like a nomad.

He was also an excellent mass mobiliser.

His speeches and lectures could touch the heart of the masses.

However, his political struggle was never ended with individual power and seeking motive.

It was only to give power at the hands of the masses.