(Special tribute on the birth anniversary of Padma Bhushan Gopal Das Neeraj – January 4th)

New Delhi Saurabh Bhatnagar

January 3rd. In the tradition of Hindi poetry and songwriting, January 4th is not just a birth date, but a remembrance of the values ​​that gave words sensitivity and songs a social responsibility.


Padma Bhushan Dr. Gopal Das Neeraj was not just a great poet for me, but my revered teacher and mentor.


Neeraj ji’s affection was associated with a special identity in my life. He affectionately called me his “word-son.” This address was not just an honor for me, but a lifelong responsibility – the responsibility of pursuing songwriting with honesty, sensitivity, and social consciousness.


Many achievements in my creative life are linked to the companionship and blessings of Dada Neeraj ji.
More than 70 of my audio, video, CD, and DVD albums were released by his hands—which were more than formal ceremonies; they were moments of acceptance by the guru of his disciple.


The musical film “Dr. Ambedkar Jeevan Gatha,” released by Gulshan Kumar’s Super Cassettes T-Series and appreciated by millions of viewers, was also released by Neeraj ji—an unforgettable memory of my songwriting journey. He himself gave the title to my poetry collection “Kalam Ki Vedana” (The Pain of the Pen) and also wrote the preface for the same collection—which is a priceless treasure of my literary life.
Dada also inspired me to go to Mumbai.


Sitting for hours discussing songs,the purity of words, the truthfulness of emotions, and the social role of the songwriter—I received all these values ​​from him. Countless memories and anecdotes associated with Dada Neeraj ji are still vivid in my mind—so deep and intimate that it is not possible to capture them in words at the moment. For me, those memories arenot stories, but the silence of spiritual practice.


Today, on his birth anniversary, I don’t just remember him—I bow to that guru-disciple tradition in which the guru gives his disciple not a name, but direction. For me, Neeraj ji is not just a person, but a tradition, a consciousness, and a way of life.