Ghanendra Kumar Nath
(gini.nat@gmail.com)
In the evening of 19.09.2025, the day of Zubeen Da’s cremation, some of our friends gathered — perhaps to mourn, perhaps to share stories of him, or perhaps simply because we all felt lonely at our homes. One of our friends mentioned a wonderful initiative – in a WhatsApp group he is a member of, it was suggested that everyone should do something positive in memory of Zubeen Da. That friend showed us a beautiful painting, an English poem, and many other creative works posted in that group. The poem was very touching, but astonishingly, it was the first poem ever written by that person, who was in his early 40s now. Only Zubeen Da could inspire a man to discover a poet within himself, unnoticed for 40 years. I thought to myself, can we all not take inspiration from Zubeen Da’s life to work more on our skills and do amazing things in life? Zubeen Da was a rebel, a carefree man — but he was also deeply professional. Not everyone can sing 38,000 songs in thirty years. Can we all not try to shine in our own ways? Even if some of us live up to just 10 per cent of what Zubeen Da has achieved—by becoming poets, painters, singers, composers, filmmakers, innovators, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, and scientists—will it not make the country proud? Will it not be a tremendous tribute to our Zubeen Da?
During the last few days when the mortal remains of Zubeen Da were paid tribute to in Guwahati, I noticed something remarkable—every person seemed so humble, empathetic, and compassionate. No one honked in traffic, people offered water to passersby, cars stopped to give way to pedestrians, and the usual young fast bike riders were riding calmly. At tribute gatherings, someone would pass you the mic or the guitar. In the crowd, women were given priority for space and comfort. Strangers greeted one another and became friends. I wondered, ‘Is this the power of a great yet humble artiste?’ No one wanted to hurt the departed soul of Dada by creating any disturbance. Everyone wanted this mega event to be a festival of love, peace, and humanity — and each person acted like a host. All took responsibility. I saw young boys and girls voluntarily cleaning up water bottles from the roads. It occurred to me, can we not always be such good citizens, bringing a good name to NortheastIndia and the entire nation? Zubeen Da was straightforwardand rebellious, yet he was also a well-mannered gentleman. Can we not make this one last — but lasting — tribute to him by just behaving well?
Zubeen Da was a universal lover. He paid the fees of students, covered medical bills for the needy, allowed random strangers to stay in his house, offered his home to be turned into a COVID care centre, fed stray animals, sat and interacted with homeless people, and spoke to strangers, street vendors and fans as if he had known them forever. Was he an idle man? Not at all! He was one of the busiest artistes in the nation — singing songs in different languages, making films, writing cult songs and movie scripts, and attending events. And yet, he chose—in Robert Frost’s words—to pause, “to watch the woods—lovely, dark and deep.” Are we busier than him? He had ten lakh visitors in his last journey. Should we not have at least a few hundred in ours? Zubeen Da inspires us to take that much-needed pause every now and then — to look back and see whether that old friend we used to sit and talk with for hours, that aunt who used to knit woollen sweaters for us, that shopkeeper uncle who gave us a toffee for free, and that schoolteacher who was once deeply invested in our success are keeping well. Do we need a better example than Zubeen Da to learn the art of living a happy life?
I also thought, ‘Should we not speak our hearts out — like Zubeen Da?’ Did he spare the leftist or the rightist? The government or the opposition? The young or the old? And yet, was he not loved by all? This is because he always spoke honestly, without bias, without an agenda. He never chose a side — he chose the truth. Let us dare to do the same – to start speaking about what you, and even if only you, feel is right. Let us speak for and against ideologies, political parties, leaders, journalists, colleagues, bosses, family members, friends and anyone else — but we must speak with honesty. We should learn to appreciate even the smallest good deed by anyone and to condemn every act of wrongdoing, even by the most powerful. When it comes to speaking the truth, we may just think of the ‘Thumb’ Zubeen Da always used to refer to.
Zubeen Da cherished nature deeply. I saw people planting trees in his memory — in random public places and on their private lands. But one crucial element is missing in these efforts: the right of those trees to the very land they stand on — to exist for eternity. The governments may pay tribute to the great artiste by offering government lands to the public — not to exploit, but to bring life to them. Let communities create forests of Nahar (Mesua ferrea) (the species loved by the artist) and other native trees. Let Zubeen Da’s dream of a great Nahar Forest become a living reality. For that, governments of various states, where the artiste has a fan base, may take concrete steps to demarcate every piece of government land—be it a national park, a wildlife sanctuary, a reserve forest, grazing land, or any other type—by installing physical concrete posts and through precise digital mapping. Let encroachment be stopped at the very first bamboo pole. Let poachers face immediate consequences the moment they set foot on protected land without permission. Let flora and fauna thrive in government lands as inspired by the great artiste.
I cannot stop thinking and writing about the man who shaped the way we think, the way we romance, and the way we grieve, rejoice, sing, and wonder — from the days of our childhood to our middle ages, from Maya to Dhulikona. But this is it for today. In the end, I truly feel that Zubeen Da’s life reached its highest high at the very moment he left this world—becoming larger than kings, leaders, and intellectuals—just as we always say: Jay Zubeen Da! Let us all strive to make that greatness even bigger by working to fulfil his dreams.