Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday released the book “Sanskritir Ratna Bhandar: Bhaowaiyar Itibritto” (Bhawaiya: A Cultural Treasure and Its Historical Journey) at Uprashtrapati Bhavan, highlighting the importance of preserving India’s rich cultural heritage and folk traditions.
Authored by Lok Sabha MP Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy and Ms. Sangita Roy, the book chronicles the historical evolution of Bhawaiya, a traditional folk music genre of North Bengal, Assam and adjoining regions. The Vice President congratulated the authors for bringing the cultural heritage of the Koch Rajbanshi community and the Bhawaiya tradition into the mainstream, while also appreciating publisher Katha-O-Kahini for documenting an important aspect of India’s cultural legacy.
Addressing the gathering, V-P Radhakrishnan said Bhawaiya has, for generations, reflected the emotions, aspirations, struggles and wisdom of ordinary people. He noted that the book offers a fresh perspective on the origin and development of the folk tradition, while highlighting the influence of religious practices, agricultural customs, seasonal festivals and community life in shaping its identity.
Emphasising the deep roots of music in Indian civilisation, the Vice President referred to the Sama Veda, the concept of Nada Brahma, and the traditions of Bhakti and Sufism, describing music as a pathway to spiritual realisation. He said India’s ancient cultural traditions continue to provide solutions to contemporary global challenges and cited the growing global acceptance of Yoga and Mission LiFE.
Calling upon the younger generation to actively participate in cultural preservation, the V-P urged them to leverage technology to safeguard languages, customs, values and traditional knowledge systems. He stressed that cultural confidence and civilisational awareness must remain integral to India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Highlighting India’s unity in diversity, the Vice President said the country’s strength lies in its many languages, cultures and communities bound together by a shared civilisational spirit. “Bharat is one and shall remain one forever,” he said.
Among those present at the event were Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla, co-authors Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy and Ms. Sangita Roy, former Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Nikhil Chandra Ray, and publisher Debraj Patra.
