Kitkupar Shangpliang
SHILLONG:
We can’t even begin to fathom the loss, loss of a friend, indisputable leader-figure, no-nonsense mentor yet full of humour, father, brother, ex-boss and the bravest home-minister Meghalaya has ever had. On the other hand, soulfully, there is anguished reality that the creative community had just lost a mammoth soul who had the biggest heart to appreciate art, arts, artistes and artists in its truest sense.
RG Lyngdoh was a very rare breed whose frequencies and talents ranged from political leader to pioneer of various art forms. He carried the capacity and gift of precision to critique both performing arts and fine-arts and his witty words were not just visionary but valid.
In the words of the music group Summersalt that I’m part of, they said,
“Today our Music stood still,
We lost a tall Artiste, Poet and Statesman,
The one our people have never and will never see again
Bah Robert Garnett Lyngdoh, thank you for the Music”
And I can’t agree more because he was never a political poet or commentator who distanced himself from reality, he was always in the middle of action. While the assumption of many, would be that he would be smirked like other politicians whose speeches find it difficult to meet halfway with their actions, RG as he was officially addressed, was the unshaken force and a movement to reckon with.
When on a few occasions that we had the privilege to interface musically, he was the easiest musician to jam with and an impromptu harmonica player who gave you enough space to express. When he played with us as a band, it was not one of our songs but it was the music of the moment. Those were milestones of friendship to confirm that he believed in the music that act as the social equaliser.
In one of our lighter conversations, we chanced into talking about blood groups, then he asked, what is yours to which I responded ‘AB’ positive. He smirked ‘kanjoos’ in Hindi and then flaunted ‘I’m ‘O’ positive, we are the kind ones, we can and we donate blood to anyone in need’. That’s precisely how he lived his life, a social contributor whose artistic solutions worked wonders to even offer solutions to the toughest of political problems during his days as home minister.
Bob as he was called by his friends, spoke his mind like no one else and his wit and humour came with lightning speed. He was not someone you could bluff because he was the Truth-keeper. Heaven as the harbinger of truth is happier now to have a person like him around. Though we will miss the soulfulness of his harmonica and persona, life has its own way to prepare us for the otherworld where there is no more night and no more pain.
With the present state of affairs, the wish is to have more time with the stalwart but as for now, it looks like it will take many eons for the universe to conspire and raise another champion like him. Until then, we will aspire to live his ideals as an artiste with a big heart.