<h1>Prime Minister hails maestro's songs as unifying force, honours him with coin, multilingual biography, urges cultural promotion</h1> The prime minister, speaking at the music maestro's birth centenary in Guwahati, said the maestro's songs unite the country, embody the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' idea and gave voice to a united Northeast during past violence; he described the national honour conferred on the maestro as recognition for the region and stressed cultural connectivity for national development. The prime minister released a commemorative coin and a biography (translated into 21 languages), attended an 18-minute musical tribute by 1,200 artistes in multiple languages, and urged promotion of local culture; state and central dignitaries and family members attended.