Zubeen da.For the past three days, the entire internet has been wondering why Assam is mourning a singer’s death, that too in ways seldom seen in history. Why does it seem that nature itself is grieving the loss of her favourite child? Today, as he goes back to the five elements, why are cows, horses and dogs joining humans to cry for a man? Let me give you the answer. In English, so that the whole world can understand. Let me tell you about Zubeen Garg. Our friend, our son, our dada.When you close your eyes and let darkness enfold you, when you concentrate, you are able to hear your heart beat. For the Axomiya, we hear Zubeen da. One of his 38,000 songs where we think he is speaking directly to us. Zubeen da is the soundtrack our lives run on. Every single event of our lives has a Zubeen song. You have a crush? Kun tumi meghali? Love? Tumi suwa jetiya dusoku tuli. Heartbreak? Rod aaji keni paau? You want to connect with your faith? Zubeen da’s borgeet. Your people? Mukti. You’re feeling cheeky? Morilong morilong laagi jai. Nostalgia for your childhood? Monole ubhoti aahe lorali. Romantic? Boroxun. Angry? Zontro. For the thousands who are away from our motherland, Axomi Aai, he is the connection to home, he is like the comfortable presence we seek when we are shaken awake by a nightmare, he is home.He is also the fight in us. The grit. The power. He battled so many personal tragedies, and yet he gives us strength for all our battles of life because he sewed his pain, his loss, his heartbreaks into melody and gave them to us. When he rejected his savarna caste publicly and called himself a human, an artist, he spoke for the marginalised. When he joined the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests, he became our representative. When he spoke for animals, trees and nature, he ensured those without voices still find some. He didn’t even follow the rules of politeness that society had set for a celebrity. His irreverence for the powers that be gave us the belief that we too have nothing to fear.People gather as the mortal remains of singer Zubeen Garg are taken to his residence from the Guwahati airport. Photo: PTI.Zubeen da voiced our love and heartbreaks, but he also voiced our desperation and frustration at a failing system and society. Years ago, from his pen came the immortal lines relevant even today: “ondho xaaxon bhondo xaaxok, ortho lubhor nogno jujot, jibon moronor swapnabaahok, mogno bibhur ondho xukhot” – to criticise the ruling class that is blind to the pains of the people in their naked pursuit of personal riches. Zubeen da was a true patriot. A comrade. One who loved his people so much that he quit the city of dreams, Mumbai, to come home. His name was Zubeen, meaning a sword. But Zubeen da sharpened the swords of our own minds. He made us feel. Think. Most of all for others. He taught us to be unapologetically human.Today, forever, Zubeen da has become the air we will breathe for the rest of our lives. His soul has become a part of all of us Axomiya. His words will forever reverberate through every atom in our bodies. And that is why we grieve. With him, all of us have died a little.Dhumuhaar xote tur bohu jugor naasun etiya xex Zubeen da, xaantir xubhro rongot jaate toi xodaai jiliki thaako. Bidaai.Your battles with storms are now finally over, Zubeen da; may we always find you shining in the white light of peace. Farewell.Madri Kakoti is a satirist, linguist and teacher from Assam.