Pallab Bhattacharyya
(Pallab Bhattacharyya is a former director-general of police, Special Branch and erstwhile Chairman, APSC. Views expressed by him is personal. He can be reached at pallab1959@hotmail.com)
When the mellifluous voice of Syed Sadulla fell silent forever on October 30, 2025, Assam lost more than a singer, lyricist, or composer—it lost a bridge between faiths, a living symbol of cultural unity, and a gentle messenger of peace. The 77-year-old maestro from Dibrugarh, who spent over three decades at All India Radio (AIR), left behind a legacy written not merely in music but in the shared heartbeat of Hindu and Muslim communities across Assam. His life was an ode to the composite culture that has shaped Assamese identity for centuries.
Born on February 1, 1948, in the tranquil town of Dibrugarh, Sadulla grew up amidst the confluence of traditions, sounds, and stories that defined post-Independence Assam. Music was his language of harmony. As a student at Kanoi College, he joined hands with friends—Hemanta Dutta, Rajen Gohain, Bhabesh Goswami, and Biju Phukan—to form The Quivers Band in 1965, a group that became legendary for fusing modern instruments with Assamese folk melodies. Their art transcended faith and caste, reflecting a youthful vision of an inclusive Assam where music bound hearts tighter than dogma could divide them.
This spirit of secular camaraderie guided Sadulla throughout his life. In the years when political divides deepened, his compositions and performances reminded Assamese society of a truth older than politics — that its strength lay in its unity amidst diversity. The Quivers Band performed alongside icons such as Dr Bhupen Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta, and Jayanta Hazarika, bringing together artistes of every faith on one harmonious stage.
His long and illustrious tenure at All India Radio Dibrugarh further amplified this message of togetherness. Beginning as a newsreader in 1971 and serving in various artistic roles till 2008, Sadulla became one of the most beloved voices to echo through Assam’s radios. His gentle tone and soulful delivery carried not just announcements or songs but the living essence of Assam — its riverine rhythms, its shared dreams, and its unspoken bond of coexistence. When AIR Dibrugarh celebrated its golden jubilee in 2019, Sadulla composed its signature tune, weaving in the words of poets and musicians across communities, showing once again that art has no religion.
Yet his legacy goes far beyond broadcasting. As a lyricist, he penned verses that touched the soil and soul of Assam. Perhaps his most profound collaboration came with Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, for whom he wrote the deeply moving song “Ei Matite Mili Jaboloi Dibi Mok”—a final ode to the homeland. That a Muslim poet wrote the last song of Assam’s greatest bard about merging with the soil of one’s land carried immense symbolism — a quiet but powerful affirmation of belonging and love that defied every barrier of creed.
Sadulla’s music was soaked in humanity. Whether it was the evergreen “Boroxa Tumi Aaha, Jiri Jiri Ahana”, composed with his friend Hemanta Dutta and sung by Rajen Gohain, or his haunting melodies like “Bidaai Parat” and “Ghune Dhoriboloi Nidibi Monot”, his songs evoked the fragrance of rain, the ache of parting, and the warmth of togetherness. Each lyric bore traces of Assamese ethos, a bridge where Sankardev’s inclusive philosophy met Azan Fakir’s spiritual compassion.
Recognitions came, but they never defined him. The Ahmed Ali Baskandi Award (2022) for promoting peace and communal harmony, the Sadin-Pratidin Achiever Music Award, and the Kerimuddin Ahmed Memorial Artiste Award (2025) — all acknowledged what the people already knew: that Syed Sadulla’s art was service to society. Even in his final days, when illness had dimmed his body but not his spirit, he sang softly for those who came to meet him, humming “Boroxa Tumi Aaha” with a smile that said more than words ever could.
His parting gift was perhaps his most symbolic — the donation of his corneas, giving sight to others beyond faith or identity. It was an act of luminous generosity from a man whose entire life had been dedicated to helping others see beauty where others saw division.
In today’s India, where harmony often seems fragile, Syed Sadulla’s life offers a timeless lesson. He proved that one can remain deeply rooted in faith while being universally human, that art can heal wounds politics cannot, and that music, when born of sincerity, can speak louder than prejudice. His collaborations with Hindu poets, his songs sung by artistes of every background, and his voice that once floated through every Assamese home — all remind us that Assam’s identity is not about exclusion but embrace.
As Assam looks to the future, it will find in his songs the melody of its better self. The gentle refrain of “Ei Matite Mili Jaboloi Dibi Mok” will continue to echo across its valleys and rivers, reminding generations that love for the land means love for all who live upon it.
Syed Sadulla’s music was not just heard; it was felt—in the quiet of an evening breeze, in the cadence of a people who know how to live together. His life was a song of harmony, his death a silent pause in that eternal melody.
And as Assamese society carries his memory forward, one truth will remain unshaken — that voices like his never truly die. They linger in the heart of a people, whispering softly of peace, belonging, and the undying beauty of unity.