User:Diprajpegu

PROMINENT MISING

Personalities  of Assam-ll

Editor- Nabin Chandra Taye

First Publication- 1993

Second Publicatios-2002

Il OI APPUN GANESH PEGU ll

By Dr. Basanta Kumar Doley

"While an Author is yet living we estimate His powers by His worst performance, and when he is dead,  we rate them by His best" Dr. Johnson.

This easy is not and estimate  of Ganesh Pegu's powers of performance, nor is it  a critical appreciation  of his work, but and attempt to make a simple survey of the  person and his personality. No doubt, it is obviously  a difficult  task for me to delineate such a Ganesh Pegu who has gained his laurels as an author, a singer,  a composer, and actor, a dancer, a teacher and what not : but I do think it possible.

Ganesh Pegu has been deservedly bestowed on an endowed with  the crown of accolade "OI APPUN" that literary  stand for "flowers of Oi Ni-tom" because he began his creer as singer with Oi Ni-tom   and availed himself of singing am Oi Ni-tom in the Dr Bhupen Hazarika's first film in  1956 when he was not yet out of his teens. In as much as he was highly  imaginative by nature from the early days of his childhood,  he was to play an important  role in is young mind Ganesh, therefore, could,  by no means, escape from the lures of natural beauties. Born and brought  up in a countryside, he drunk to his satisfaction in his artistic creations and this is the fact that make Pegu's Oi Ni-tom melodies and popular all time.

In the vast bosom of the mighty Brahmaputra, Majuli,  the greatest  riverisland in the world, is a mythical land of scenic beauty, Oi Appun Ganesh Pegu who is a man of multifaceted talent was born on August,  20, 1936 at a typical Mising village. Named Bheuchuk Kumarbari in Jengraimukh which situated in the heart of the river island. He is the second son of Late Haliram Pegu and Mala Pegu. In childhood, young  Ganesh who very often used the gaze at the nature, was enormously  fascinated  by the sandy look of large beach, the steep cliffs of the river banks where from he used to dive, the rippling waves of gay water and so on.

When the spring approached,  especially in the month of Flagons,  his boyish heart got inspired and filled with fountain head of Oi Ni-tom. His hearing sense grasped the notes of music that,  frequently vibrating everywhere around him,  echoed and reechoed in the gentle  mod of tender leaves of trees, the whispering breeze, quiet noises of flowing  water etc. At that moment, he got himself lost in the sweet scent of wild flowers, wanton delight  of the floating clouds and sweet smile of the rainbow. To be precise, his young mind got embellished with and tenderly nourished by the magical touch of natural objects. All that he perceived from such enchanting surroundings planted in is prolifice mind later on,  flourished luxuriantly in this maturity of life.

Every individual takent has to revolt one way or another, against the established norms of traditional belief. It seems to have been the same with Ganesh Pegu too. In those days when young Ganesh began to sing Oi Ni-tom, people had simmering discontent with it. They looked down upon the one who sang it,  because Oi Ni-tom, at that time, was considerd as a song of obscentity, Ganesh Pegu had to endure showers of filthy abuses even from his fellowmen who  derogated him with the remark Morsc-Done meaning "one who feeds on singing". For Ganesh it was not only a challenge,  but also revolution to make his people realise their rich musical heritage as well as to bring about a radical change to their outlook in respect of Oi Ni-tom. However, Ganesh, paying no attention to all that happened, successfully  carried on his efforts of elevating Oi Ni-tom from the level of vulgarism,  and in the long run, he enshrined it in people's heart. Nevertheless, he was fortunate enough  to have am opportunity to sing am Oi Ni-tom and dance in the first Assamese film of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, "Era Bator Sur" in this teenage. This performance  of young Ganesh Pegu paved the way in contact with such famouse personalities as Bishnu  Rabha,  Phani Sarma,  Maghai Uza  etc. besides Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, and his name  rode on the crest of a wave. By degrees, his ambit performance as a singer grew widened after he had presented two Oi Ni-tom  on radio that where broadcast from AIR Shillong Gauhati station in 1957. Since then,  Ganesh Pegu has sung and still keeps singing lots of Oi Ni-tom most of which were either solo or duet except the two which where sung by groups. Of these two, first was presented in AIR Gauhati stations under the leadership of Ganesh Pegu and Indreswar Pegu in 1963 while the second was sung as Mising Geet by a group led by Ganesh Pegu alone in Dibrugarh  station of All India Radio in 1971. In the mean time,  a few youths although small in number effered themselves to sing Oi Ni-tom on radio and Ganesh Pegu came to be considered as their pioneer. However,  Ganesh Pegu, by that time, perferred singing mising Geet (Mising Modern Song,  Viz light music)  to Oi Ni-tom. In this respect too,  Ganesh Pegu's lucid lyrics and sweet melody arrested the attention of both the youth and old alike.

Apart from his immense contribution towards song and music,  he also presented a number of talks in Assamese on radio. The flowing are some of them :

(1) Doh Toropiya Mising Ghar,  (2) Mising Geeti Sahitya,  (3) Asomiya Sanskritiloi Mising Sakalor Borongoni, (4) Mising Jati Aru Bohag Bihu,  (5) Mising Bhasar Udbhov aru Iyar Bikash, (6) Asomiya Bhasa Sahityat Miri Ba Mising Sakalor Sthan etc. He was also interviewed at North Lakhimpur in 1997 on Twentypoint Programme by Hare Krishna Deka of Dibrugarh  Radio Stations, at Gogamukh in 1978 on Mising culture  by Kamal Sarma of the same station and at Buroi  Mukoli Gaon in 1993 on Mising Language by. Dhirendra Kumar Rabha of Guwahati station of All India Radio.

In addition to his considerable performance on radio, Ganesh Pegu has exhibited a great deal of success in the field of film also. As matter of fect, for Pegu, the first opportunity that he made best use of was a privilege that paved the way in contact in to the world of film. As a result,  he had opportunities to sing an Oi Ni-tom each in Jiban Bara's film "Polashar Rong" and Dr. Bhupen Hazarika's Telefilm "Miri Jiyori", and he played the role of a Gaon Burha in the telefilm "Setu" of Dr. Bhupen Kaman, Besides his songs and roles in the films and telefilms, he also equally did in such TV serials as " Bare Boroniya" etc,  a lot of creations, not to speak of his performance in the documentaries of 1987,  1991 and so on. Still he keeps presenting programmes of TV.

Ganesh Pegu's books provide ample evidence of his literary taste. He has a keen interest in and a good command literature, In his adolescence, he tried his hand at writing poems in Assamese and these appeared in some local magazines like a "Aloran", "Jeuti" etc,  but he could not earn name and fame as a poet. However,  his inherent talent finds expression in his essays that are published in leading magazines, Newspapers and souvenirs of Assam. His literary works that have so far, been published in the form of book are as follows :

(1) Tani-Agom or Manav Bhasa ( 1974), (2) Singled ( a collection of his Modern songs in Mising) *1989), (3)  Mising Sanskritir Rengoni, (1995), (4) Rohaniya Mising Samaj aru Bhasa Sanskritir Gari Bidhi (1996), (5) Mising Sadhu Aru Kingbodontir Hitupodesh (1997),  (6) Leke Ni-tom (edited).

Apart from the above, he also  participated in a workshop organised by CILL for production of the Mising  Nursery Rhymes " Ngolug Moman" to which he contributed with rhymes.

By profession, Ganesh Pegu who has already retired from his service as a teacher in Gogamukh School. During his in service period of like,  he was diligent enough to keep himself involved in various programmes of Asom Sahitya Sabha and Mising Agom Kebang in spite of his preoccupied busy routine of academic duty.

He was aptly feliciated as an artist by the "Sadau Asom Jana Sanskriti Parishad" in cultural conference in 1999 and the "Asom Sahitya  Sabha" in 58th  Gureswar Session in 1992.

Ganesh Pegu is a man of well  built physique with small eyes bearing the genealogical significance of Mongoloid origin. As a kind hearted and benevolent,  Pegu's personality  is always endowed with benign demeanor. Unlike many of his comedies, he has no greet for riches. He still travels from Sadiya  to Buruli ( Bharali)  in quest of a note music entertaining one and all like a minstrel.

Re-Typed by Sikurdeep.

Oi Appun Ganesh Pe:guké agomém bojéko kinpé mé:domílo Oi Appun Ganesh Pegu Socio-Cultural and Literary Society Like Page dok linkdém ka:toka. অই আপ্পুন গণেশ পেগুৰ বিষয়ে অধিক জানিব বিচাৰিলে Oi Appun  Ganesh Pegu Socio-Cultural and Literary Society নামৰ facbook Like পেজত পাব ৷