Friends and colleagues remembered the
“versatile” policeman whose contribution to the Darjeeling hills has
been “gigantic” and whose departure has left a void that will be hard to
fill.
People cutting across all sections of
society have mourned the death of former DSP Nayan Prakash Subba,
singer, writer, dramatist and ardent social worker, who passed away on
Thursday in his home near Dhir Dham Temple, Darjeeling.
Subba, who celebrated his 73rd birthday
on April 4 with relatives in the confines of his home was a diabetic and
had been advised by his doctors to go to SIliguri for treatment.
“We were about to take him down to Siliguri when he collapsed all of a sudden.
The ambulance was also ready. The
haemoglobin content in his blood had gone down drastically, which was
the major cause of his death,” informed Leela Subba, his sister-in-law.
Krishna Singh Moktan, a former IG of
police, remembered Subba as a versatile genius whose contribution to
Darjeeling society would be hard to forget.
“Subba was ten years my junior, but his
knowledge of things around him that did not include police work was
immense. He was a gifted writer and his grasp of the English language
was unparalleled, besides also being a talented musician,” said Moktan.
“His contribution to preserving the heritage of Darjeeling through his
writing was among of the many legacies he has left behind. He would
always make sure he visited the place before writing down his thoughts
with facts to backup his words.
Subba was also a true friend
of journalists who always approached him for information. “He was always
available to us at any time of the day. His house is a treasure of
information. There was nothing we could not talk to him about. He would
share even the tiniest of information that helped us in writing
articles,” recollects this correspondent.
Those who worked with “Subba the
musician” too had happy things to share. “He was a strict policeman, but
his softer side would show up whenever he held a musical instrument. He
played the piano, violin, the guitar and the accordion wit finesse. In
fact, for several years, he lent me his accordion which I used to play
in concerts. He was ahead of his time and would always encourage us to
venture in different genres of music,” reminisced noted Darjeeling
musician Chandan Lomzel.
On behalf of the party, Gorkha Janmukti
Morcha assistant secretary Binay Tamang expressed deep sorrow with the
loss of a true legend of the Darjeeling hills.
“His void will be difficult to fill. He
(Subba) was a true asset of the hills and his contributions will be hard
to emulate. Our party expresses grief and extends deep condolence to
the bereaved family at this hour,” he said.
Subba will be cremated on Sunday in
Darjeeling as his family awaits the arrival of close relatives and
friends, including his three daughters.(EOIC)