Lockdown: Assam Police urges people to give community Bihu celebration a miss this year

Guwahati, Apr 13 () The usual gaiety witnessedduring Assam's spring festival 'Bohag' or 'Rongali Bihu',marking the Assamese New Year, will have to be missed thisyear due to the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirusoutbreak.

The Assam Police has issued an advisory and broughtout a music video urging people not to congregate to celebratethe state's most important festival that began on Monday.

The advisory on Bihu celebration restricts anygathering or programme due to the ongoing lockdown, DirectorGeneral of Police (DGP) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said.

"People are requested to celebrate in their homes andBihu committees are urged to organise only flag hoistingceremonies," the DGP said.

The community Bihu celebration begins with thehoisting of flags at neighbourhood fields by committee membersin the presence of local residents.

"This year, we have asked the Bihu committees toorganise the flag hoisting programme with a maximum of fivepersons and restrict the event to a maximum of 30 minutes,"Mahanta said.

He also urged the participants to maintain socialdistancing during the event.

ADGP (law and order) G P Singh urged people tocelebrate the festival only with those with whom "they aresharing a house during lockdown" and not to visit the housesof other relatives.

In the music video brought out by the police, itsuniformed personnel, with Assamese 'gamosa' around theirnecks, are seen dancing to the tunes of a Bihu song, thelyrics of which is based on awareness on coronavirus.

Traditional Assamese musical instruments such as'Dhol' (drum), 'Pepa' (buffalo horn flute) and 'Gogona' (a jawharp) are also played.

The Bihu song urges people to stay at home and saysthat people will invite coronavirus to their homes if theyindulge in community celebration.

The song says life will come to an end if the chain ofcoronavirus infection is not broken.

It says if the community survives, there will be moreBihu celebrations so "let us keep it low this year and singthe glory of humanity".

The Bihu song has resonated with the people. "The Bihusong is catchy and its message relevant," Cotton Universitystudent Devarshi Hazarika said.

Thirty five-year-old homemaker Monica Barua said shewill celebrate Bihu at home by seeking blessings from eldersand preparing 'pitha' (rice cake) and 'laru' (sweetmeat). DGACD ACD