The silence after the song: Remembering Dipak Sarma

There are some losses that leave more than emptiness, they leave silence. The kind of silence that echoes louder than any symphony, that reverberates through the heart of a culture, reminding us of what once was and what will never be again. The passing of flutist Dipak Sarma is such a loss, a wound in the soul of Assamese music, a void that no melody can fill.

The Man Who Chose Bamboo Over Gold

Picture a young man standing at life's crossroads, a commerce degree fresh in his hands from Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia College in Guwahati. Before him lay the well-trodden path, secure jobs, predictable futures, the comfort of convention. Around him, society's whispers about the impracticality of pursuing art, especially an instrument as humble as the bamboo flute. Most would have walked forward without looking back.

Dipak Sarma turned around

He chose not the promise of profit, but the pull of passion. He chose a hollow piece of bamboo that would become his voice, his prayer, his very breath. In doing so, he didn't just select an instrument, he selected a destiny that would transform Assamese music forever. How many of us possess such courage? How many of us dare chase melodies when the world demands we chase money?
The Disciple Who Became a Master
His journey led him to the doors of the legends. In 1992, he began training under Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, one of India's greatest flutists. Can you imagine the dedication? The hours of practice until his lips were numb, his fingers calloused, his lungs aching. He pursued his postgraduate degree in international music at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, immersing himself completely in the world of ragas and rhythms.

And then, history

Dipak Sarma became the first Assamese flautist to achieve the prestigious B-High grade in classical music from All India Radio, a milestone that made his entire state swell with pride. He didn't just learn music; he mastered it. He didn't just play the flute; he spoke through it in a language that transcended words.
The Bridge Between Worlds
What made Dipak Sarma extraordinary wasn't merely his technical brilliance, it was his soul. He became a bridge between the classical and the folk, between tradition and innovation. He took the ancient ragas of Hindustani classical music and wove them seamlessly with the earthy, soulful flavours of Assamese folk traditions. The result was magic, a sound that was both timeless and contemporary, both universal and uniquely Assamese.

He popularized the flute and created a musical landscape where it truly became the star. He made that bamboo instrument sing in ways that made people stop, listen, and weep. He collaborated with the giants, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, whose voice was the conscience of Assam, and Zubeen Garg, whose music moved generations. Together, they created art that will outlive them all.
The Global Ambassador of Assamese Soul
In 2000, Dipak Sarma carried his flute to South Africa for his first international performance. 

Imagine that moment

A boy from Assam, standing on a foreign stage, about to share the sounds of his homeland with the world. From that point forward, he performed across continents, in countries that had never heard Assamese music before. He wasn't just a musician; he was an ambassador, carrying the soul of his culture across oceans.

Every note he played told a story. Every melody was a love letter to Assam, to its rivers, its hills, its people, its struggles, its triumphs. Through his flute, audiences in distant lands heard the monsoon rains of the Brahmaputra valley, felt the warmth of Bihu celebrations, sensed the quiet spirituality of Assamese life.
A Season of Unbearable Loss
Between September 19 and November 3, Assam experienced what can only be described as a cultural catastrophe. Three musical luminaries departed within weeks—Zubeen Garg, whose energy was like a storm; Syed Sadulla, whose presence brought calm; and Dipak Sarma, whose flute was the very breath of melody. How does a culture bear such loss? How does music continue when its greatest voices fall silent?

The answer, perhaps, lies in what they left behind. Dipak Sarma may no longer walk among us, but his music remains in recordings, in memories, in the hearts of everyone who ever heard him play. He left behind a legacy that proved dreams are worth pursuing, that passion is more valuable than paychecks, that a simple bamboo flute in the right hands can change the world.

The Echo That Remains

Today, when young Assamese musicians pick up the flute, they stand on the strong shoulders of Dipak Sarma. When classical ragas blend with folk tunes in Assam, his influence is present. When someone in a foreign land discovers Assamese music and falls in love with its beauty, they are hearing echoes of the path he carved.

His choice to pursue the flute when it wasn't fashionable, when it wasn't financially secure, when society questioned his decision. That choice gave permission to countless others to follow their artistic dreams. His success validated every artist who ever chose passion over pragmatism, soul over salary.

The flute is silent now. The breath that gave it life has stilled. But the songs remain, floating in the air like prayers, reminding us that some voices never truly die, they simply become part of the music of the universe, waiting for those quiet enough to listen.

Dipak Sarma didn't just play the flute. He lived through it, spoke through it, loved through it. And in doing so, he became immortal, not in body, but in the only way that truly matters: in the art that outlives us all, in the inspiration that transcends generations, in the beauty that refuses to fade.

The bamboo may be hollow, but it carries a soul. And that soul, thankfully, will echo through Assamese music forever.