Minoti Khaund: The evergreen violinist of 70's musical world of Assam, she is undoubtedly one of the most popular violinist today and can equally be placed among the best. With her disarming smile and charming manner, the bespectacled Minoti Khaund exudes a comfortable air: music, she says takes her closet to divinity and accords her peace and tranquility. It is an invigorating experience which exalts her spirits.
Born in a well to do Phukan paribar of Jorhat. Her father Manik Chandra Phukan and mother Nalini Debi. She was raised in a culturally rich atmosphere. Her maternal grandfather: Bisheswar Sharma, well-known Tea planter and a culturally gharana of Jorhat. Being a connoisseur of the fine arts himself encouraged Minoti and bought her a violin. So, she started to play at a tender age of 10.
Minoti had her early training in violin from Shri Indreswar Sarma of Jorhat, in the music school of late Darpanath Sarma. She performed in several concerts and festivals and the turning point in her life came when she was performing at the All Assam Music Conference in 1972 and violin maestro Pt. V.G.Jog heard her on stage and offered to impart his art to Minoti. Her husband Kabindra Ram Khaund and the daughter in law of Deputy Commissioner Rabindra Ram Khaund a traditional family of Assam supported her and started her apprenticeship under Pt .Jog. Thereafter started the traditional Gururshisya Parampara between Minoti and Padmavibhusahan Pt Jog.
The Rising Talent Conference at Kalamandir Calcutta in 1978 introduced Minoti as a talented artiste. There has been no looking back since then. The Amir Khan Music Conference at Rabindra Sadan Calcutta, Benaras, Burdwan, Cuttack, Bhubaneshwar, Tatanagar, Rabindra Natya Mandir mumbai, India International Center Delhi, Mehta Memorial Hall Allahabad, IIT Festival, Shankardev Kalakshetra Guwahati, National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai, India Habitat Centre Delhi, Women's International Forum Goa, Madhusudhan Manch Kolkatta etc were the platforms that Minoti performed in and enthralled the audience and press alike. She became the foremost violinist of Assam. She was conferred the title of Sangeet Jyoti.
Minoti started her parallel studies in the field of music and attained Sangeet Nipune from Prayag Sangeet Samitti, Allahabad, in 1986, bagging a gold medal for her Sangeet Visharad. During this period she also got associated with vocalist Pt. A.T, Kanan of the Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkatta and imbibed the "gayaki ang" in her style. She also underwent music studies in the field of raga improvisations and rhythmic patterns of "tala" from sarod maestro and musicologist Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta.
Sunita Bhuyan is a violinist of the Hindustani style and has carved a niche for herself as an upcoming musician of India. Recepient of the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini award for Music. She was initiated into musicat a tender age by her mother Minoti Khaund. The mother daughter duo of Minoti and Sunita have performed duets all over the country and abroad, regaling the audience and the press alike with their "jugalbandi". What makes her great is: selection of her tune, her style of presentation and she stried to give a semi-classical touch which has a blend of folk western classical.
Sunita has attained a master's degree in Hindustani Music from Prayag Sangeet Samitte, with a distinction and has also studied advanced music under the apprenticeship of violin maestro Padmabibhushan Late Pt V.G. Jog.
Minoti Khaund, the award winning violin master whose musical career spanning 50 years. She has been awarded the prestigious Silpi Bata this year by Govt. of Assam.
A violin recital by Minoti Khaund and her daughter Sunita Bhuyan are on an exclusive UK tour at the prestigious Nehru Centre (the Cultural wing of Indian High Commission) on 26th June and other British cities: Manchester: Kalapremi mandal, Birmingham and Nottingham organized by Rini Kakati, NRI Co-ordinator for UK.
Also the Glasgow concert is organized by Mrs. Anima Sharma, an active member of Lancashire Hindu Association.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is likely to visit Kokrajhar and Chirang on Monday to take stock of the situation in the riot hit districts. During the hurricane tour, the Union home minister is be apprised of the prevailing law and order situation by meet top civil and police officers. Chidambaram is likely to call on the leaders of both the groups to end the conflict. According to unconfirmed sources, he is likely to visit one or two relief camps set up for those affected people.
There is some let-up in Kokrajhar and Chirang. But the situation is tense. There is no report of any fresh incident of violence during the last 7 hours. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that situation was back to normal barring a few stray incident. Four bodies were recovered in Gossaigaon on Friday taking the death toll to 58.
BJP on Friday blamed it all on Dispur for not taking timely action to rein in the ethnic violence in Assam. BJP activists staged a protest rally in New Delhi on Friday condemning the clash that took a heavy toll in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. The protestors shouted slogans alleging the utter inefficiency of the state government.
Party leader Vijay Goel accused state government of a delayed action in the deployment of army in the disturbed areas. He further held the illegal migrants responsible for the clash.
The weeklong ethnic clash seems to have kept the state’s political scene on the boil. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, AGP leader Atul Bora said that during their stock-taking visit to BTAD on Thursday, they got wind of a bitter conspiracy behind this ethnic clash that has taken a heavy toll. On the other hand, CPI would take out a peace rally on the streets of Guwahati on Saturday.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has partially blamed the Centre for providing him with inadequate security forces to bring the situation under control. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Fruday, Gogoi said that a reduction in Central forces has put him in a fix.
Gogoi also that his resignation over the issue was not going to help reduce the tension. “Had there been full forces there, the situation could have been controlled,” he said. Gogoi made it clear that he was not making it a vote bank politics. He said, “I do not need a single vote of the illegal migrants.”
An uneasy calm settled over Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam on Friday a day before prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s healing visit to Kokrajhar. Four more bodies were recovered in Gossaigaon on Friday taking the death toll to over 60. One more person was killed in police firing at the height of ethnic clash in Dhubri. The curfew in Chirang was relaxed till 4 in the afternoon. The violence has rendered over 2 lakh people homeless in 400 villages.
Police on Thursday got remand of Amarjyoti Kalita when the prime accused in the infamous GS Road molestation case was produced before the Kamrup CJM court. Police sought Kalita in their remand for 5 days which was allowed. But the court slammed police for filing a case in loose sheet calling it an example of serious lapse in a high profile case.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit Kokrajhar on Saturday in the time of ethnic clash that has so far left 42 people killed. Dr Singh, who happens to be a Rajya Sabha member from Assam, is set to visit the refugee camps during his day long visit to the worst-hit district. The prime minister is likely to visit parts of Chirang district along with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take stock of the situation.
Police on Thursday arrested one more miscreant in the infamous GS Road molestation camp. Identified as Rubul Ali, the miscreant was arrested from Baihata chariali in the morning. He was straightly rushed to Guwahati to be grilled by the special investigation team of police. With this police have arrested 15 miscreants involved in the incident including the prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita and TV journalist Gauravjyoti Neog.
BJP on Thursday reiterated its allegations of a nefarious role of Bangladeshi immigrants in the on going ethnic clash that rocks BTAD areas where over 40 people were killed.
Talking to reporters in Guwahati, the BJP leader said that the government could have tried to avert it. Goel further alleged insufficient relief materials in the refugee camps set up in Kokrajhar ands Chirang districts.
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