Guwahati: Pengeri in Tinsukia district on Saturday woke up to silence, the kind that falls when a voice that carried a century of stories suddenly goes quiet.
Ram Nath Sah, fondly known as ‘Netaji’, passed away at the awe-inspiring age of 101.
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With his crisp Gandhi cap, simple dhuti-panjabi, and long, dignified mustache, Sah was not just a man; he was living history. Villagers often said that just watching him walk down the dusty lanes was like “seeing history stroll through the present.”
Among the countless memories Sah carried, one stood apart meeting Mahatma Gandhi himself.
For him, it was not just a brush with greatness but a guiding light for life.
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“Meeting Bapu was more than a moment,” he would tell eager youngsters.
“It was a lesson in humility, in service, in how one man’s simplicity can shake an empire.”
Despite his brush with history, Sah was never distant.
He belonged to his people. In Pengeri, it was common to see him surrounded by villagers seeking advice or comfort.
“Even when I was a child, I remember him listening patiently to everyone ,farmers, shopkeepers, children. He never dismissed anyone,” recalled a longtime resident with misty eyes.
His kindness earned him respect, but it was his integrity that made him a leader. Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had honored him with the prestigious Tamra Phuli.
Yet, Sah wore the recognition lightly.
To him, true leadership was not about awards but about staying rooted.
“Service, not power that’s what defines a leader,” he had often said.
Sah is survived by his sons, Bhola and Pawan, and two daughters. But in truth, he is survived by an entire community that saw him as family.
As word of his passing spread, tributes poured in from across Assam and beyond. On social media, one admirer captured the collective sentiment: “He may have lived 101 years, but his lessons will outlive centuries.”
Netaji Ram Nath Sah’s life was a bridge between Gandhi’s India and today’s. He carried in him the fragrance of freedom, the dignity of service, and the grace of humility. His passing is not just the loss of a man but of a living archive of India’s soul.
Pengeri will no longer see its Netaji walking by. But in the quiet of its fields and in the hearts of its people, his footsteps will echo forever.