Remembering Rajib Sadia on his first death anniversary

A resonant voice of national consciousness

Barnali Sarma Basistha

(barnalisarmabasistha@rediffmail.com)

Just as the ceaseless waters of the Luit echo the deep, solemn sound of our land, our people, and our history, Rajib Sadia’s mellifluous voice vibrated with the stories of the nation, the soil, and humanity. He sang songs, but they were never merely arrangements of melody and words. Through his voice, songs became the language of a people and the pulse of their hearts.

Bearing the name of his native place as his identity, Rajib Sadia of Topchinga village in Sadia possessed a voice that sang of the nation, the land, and the people. He used music to question authority and awaken the masses. Sometimes in anger, sometimes in pain, sometimes as a call to action, he sought to rouse Assamese society through song. Instead of the softness of mere entertainment, his voice carried love and responsibility toward the nation, the land, and the people, along with the necessary harshness of truth. For Rajib Sadia, the Luit was not just a river; it was a witness to history and the present. Likewise, democracy in his songs was not just a word or belief, nor merely a medium of expression, but a living presence.

Even in Bihu-inspired melodies, Rajib Sadia never forgot to speak of the nation. Amid the beats of the dhol and the call of the pepa, he echoed an appeal for self-respect and the protection of identity. While many of his songs directly expressed love for the nation, others carried thunderous warnings and calls on behalf of the nation, the land, and the people. Rather than chasing popularity, Rajib Sadia chose to express truth through music. His songs became synonymous with the nation, the soil, and humanity. Until his last breath, his voice stood as a protest for truth and rightful justice, and melody was the weapon of that protest.

Rajib Sadia entered the music world formally in 2004 with the album ‘Bon-Keteki’. From the very beginning, he marked himself as a symbol of a different path. Rejecting the easy road to popularity, he chose a difficult but honest one: singing about the nation, the land, and the language. That is why he was not merely a singer to us but also a conscious spokesperson for the people and a voice of social resistance. The messages and questions he raised through songs like ‘Tejat Uthise’, ‘Joy Aai Asom’, ‘Akou Joy Aai Asom’, ‘Hengdang’, etc., remain relevant even today. Never hiding the truth of his time, his voice was always clear and uncompromising about crises of language, culture, and identity.

Rajib Sadia’s songs strongly reflected resistance to Western cultural aggression, religious politics, and social inequality. His lyrics remain mirrors of society. By capturing the realities of his time and the contradictions within society, this young singer consistently used melody to awaken the masses against cultural erosion, aggressive politics, and social discrimination. Rajib Sadia was a clear, firm, and defiant voice that stood in solidarity with the nation, the land, and the working people.

Ever alert to social responsibility, Rajib Sadia was also associated with the voluntary organisation Manuhe Manuhor Babe, working quietly for society without ever using his songs for publicity. Yet it is our misfortune that we lost this singer, who loved the nation, the land, and humanity, far too early. On 13 January 2025, amid the resounding chant of ‘Joy Ai Axom’ from the public stage, Rajib Sadia physically departed from this world.

Though he is no longer among us in body, his voice has not fallen silent. It lives on in his songs. Through his songs, we keep his voice alive. As long as a sense of responsibility toward the nation lives in the hearts of the people, Rajib Sadia will remain alive in the consciousness of Assam: as a people’s artiste, as a musical protester, and as a true Assamese who loved the nation, the land, and humanity.