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Bhupen hazarika sings paeans to halycon political times
Samudra Gupta Kashyap
JORHAT, February 11: ``I am ashamed of telling people that I too was in politics three decades ago. Those days were so different. I got votes by simply singing songs in the countryside. Today, they are distributing money and buying votes.''This is how Bhupen Hazarika, singer extraordinary, noted film-maker, and winner of the coveted Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema, reacts today recalling his politics days. ``I was an MLA from 1967 to 1971 and I had hardly spent about Rs 2,000 to make it to the Assembly. Look at the scenario today the newspapers say the candidates, of course not all of them, are even distributing money,'' Hazarika, who has composed more than 200 political songs, lamented.The man is even more disturbed when he is reminded that the Naoboicha assembly constituency, which he represented in 1967, is currently being represented by the controversial Mani Kumar Subba of the Congress.Subba, a Congress nominated him for Tezpur, faced allegations that he was not agenuine Indian citizen, and that he also had a long list of criminal activities.``I feel very sad and disturbed to learn that Naoboicha has a controversial representative called Subba. I am more disturbed to find that the Congress has nominated him for Tezpur,'' Hazarika said.Keeping in mind his popularity, several candidates are running after him to help them woo the voters. ``While shooting in Tezpur, both the AGP and BJP candidates rushed to me and sought my blessings''. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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