Who was Bishnu Prasad Rabha?
Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, born on 31st January 1909 in Dhaka, was a prominent freedom fighter, cultural icon, and revolutionary thinker from Assam.
- Though he was an active participant in India’s independence struggle, his philosophy was based on leftist ideology. He envisioned not just political freedom from British rule but also aspired for true social justice for the oppressed.
After losing his mother at an early age, his father, Gopal Chandra Mosahary—a British police officer from the Kachari community—entrusted his upbringing to a teacher from the Rabha community.
- This teacher had a great influence in his life, imparting profound knowledge and giving directions to his outlook towards life. Out of respect and connection to this upbringing, he later adopted the Rabha surname.
Bishnu Prasad Rabha passed away on 20th June 1969, a day now observed as Rabha Divas in Assam to honor his legacy.
Bishnu Prasad Rabha-Artist
Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha was a remarkably versatile artist—an exceptional poet, singer, dancer, actor, and cultural thinker.
- His immense contributions to the arts earned him the title Kalaguru (Master of the Arts), which was conferred upon him by Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan after witnessing his powerful Tandav dance performance in Varanasi.
- He was also honored with the title Sainik Silpi (Soldier-Artist) for his dedication to promoting indigenous Assamese culture.
- Rabha translated the revolutionary anthem The Internationale into Assamese, symbolizing his deep commitment to socio-political change.
- Films:- He played a significant role in Assam’s early cinematic history—acting in the film Era Bator Sur, composing music for Siraj, and assisting Jyoti Prasad Agarwala in making Assam’s first film, Joymoti.
- It was in this film that he introduced the Japi dance to Bihu, inspired by tribal dance forms like Khofri Sibnai Mwsanai.
- An accomplished painter as well, many of the visual depictions of Srimanta Sankardeva that exist today are his creations.
- Rabha also offered a distinct linguistic viewpoint, asserting that Assamese has tribal roots—contrary to Dr. Banikanta Kakati’s belief in its Indo-Aryan origin.
- His literary work Bano Kobang stands out as the first anthropological study on the indigenous communities of Assam, capturing their traditional lifestyles and philosophies.
Other Books:- Some of the other notable works authored by Bishnu Prasad Rabha include Mising Koynege, Sonpahi, Axomiya Kristir Hamukh Abakhi, and Oitit Axom.
Bishnu Prasad Rabha’s: radical socialist approach
Bishnu Prasad Rabha was not just a freedom fighter, but a revolutionary who dared to challenge injustice in all its forms—be it British colonialism or the post-independence capitalist Indian state.
- He strongly opposed both British rule and, later, the Indian government’s capitalist policies that he felt betrayed the common people.
- Disillusioned during World War II, he left the Communist Party of India when it chose to collaborate with the British.
- Deeply inspired by socialist ideals, he joined the Revolutionary Communist Party of India in 1945.
- His famous slogan “Haal jaa, maati laa” (plough the land, claim the land) captured his belief that the land should belong to those who till it—not to zamindars or the privileged.
- He didn’t just speak of revolution—he lived it. Rabha gave away 2,500 bighas of ancestral land, originally granted to his family by the British, to indigenous peasants.
- Today, Tezpur University stands on that very land, symbolizing his selfless contribution to society.
- Even after independence, Rabha did not stay silent. He raised his voice against the new government’s policies, which led to his arrest and imprisonment.
- Soon after being released, he launched an armed struggle in the northeastern region (then Greater Assam), aiming to ignite a broader people’s revolution.
- It was during this time that he crossed paths with like-minded cultural and political thinkers such as Bhupen Hazarika in a small hut in the Nilachal Hills.
One of his most powerful acts of defiance came on August 15, 1947. While the nation celebrated independence, Rabha led a black flag protest at Digheli, boldly declaring:
“This Independence is fake.”
He believed the freedom gained was only superficial, it was merely a change of skin colour — from “a white to a black government.”, and was arrested for his dissent.
