Dwijen Gogoi: A Beacon of Hope Amidst Sivasagar's Floods
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Artiste Dwijen Gogoi playing a folk instrument
Sivasagar, Sept 11: The recent catastrophic flash floods that struck Sivasagar and Charaideo districts revealed the true character of many individuals, often hidden behind their public personas. One such individual is Dwijen Gogoi, a renowned folk artist, musician, and recipient of the Mohan Bhaira Award, who is skilled in crafting various folk musical instruments cherished by Assam's diverse ethnic groups.
This reporter had the opportunity to meet Gogoi at his home in Darika Barpatranagar, which was submerged under nearly five feet of floodwaters for over two weeks. A retired employee of ONGC, Gogoi recounted his experience during an hour-long interview on Wednesday, expressing remarkable composure in the face of the unprecedented floods.
Without succumbing to panic, he relocated his family, three dogs, and all valuable possessions to the first-floor museum dedicated to folk instruments on the night of July 19, leaving behind heavy furniture and numerous musical instruments to be damaged by the floodwaters. Prior to this, he had moved his car to a safe location by the BG Road, beyond the railway crossing.
Starting the very next morning, Gogoi took it upon himself to prepare tea in two large containers for over a hundred stranded individuals daily. He also transported snacks to those in relief camps in remote areas using a banana raft and his vehicle. Additionally, he sent his wife to distribute clothing to women affected by the floods.
His four daughters joined in the effort, volunteering to hand out school supplies, including bags, socks, shoes, books, and pencils to children in their village and the nearby Nimaijan area.
The entire family stepped out of the comfort of their upper-floor residence, braving the floodwaters to assist those in need.
As the waters began to recede, Gogoi reached out to all the Naamghars in the Bokota *mouza*, requesting them to bring their damaged dobas (flat drums) to his home.
In response, ten dobas and eight pairs of nagaras, all affected by the floods, were brought to him.
Gogoi immediately set to work restoring them to their original state at no cost, aided by his dedicated team of skilled craftsmen. Several dobas have already been returned to their respective Naamghars.
In addition, he took initiative to address environmental concerns by collecting plastic bottles discarded in the floodwaters after people had consumed their contents. He gathered them outside his gate and notified the garbage collectors, who removed the pile a few days later.
Despite the floods damaging many of his valuable folk instruments, including dhols, pepas, flutes, cymbals, khols, and nagaras, as well as destroying his rice stock, Gogoi remains focused on his work and the preservation of Assamese culture.
His dedication to the rich folk traditions of rural Assam and his love for the community have earned him widespread admiration and respect throughout the state.
Hundreds of students frequently visit his Sur Samalay Resource Centre at his residence to learn about folk music and traditional instruments.
In recognition of his contributions to folk culture, Gogoi was honored with the Mohan Bhaira Memorial Award by the Nalbari Zila AASU and Nalbari Asom Unnati Sabha in 2014.
In 2025, Gogoi, along with his eldest daughter Dipjyoti, traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, where he received accolades from Chulalongkorn University and conducted a workshop on Assamese folk culture.