The steady stream of the faithful to the Zubeen Garg memorial near Guwahati, irrespective of the weather, reflects the pull of the singer and cultural icon on his fans, admirers and the uninitiated even six months after his untimely death in Singapore.
They come from across Assam to Zubeen Kshetra to pay their respects or pray for the eternal peace of the 52-year-old singer-composer-filmmaker or to be among their grieving fellow admirers.
Zubeen died while swimming during a yacht outing on September 19 in Singapore, plunging Assam into mourning and triggering the demand for justice.
The faithful also come to check the progress of the memorial dedicated to the man who was loved as much for his songs as for his strong stand against anything inimical to Assam’s interests.
They also want to know whether Zubeen will get justice.
This is unanimity across age groups and the political divide over the demand for justice — a question that has seeped into the political discourse in the run-up to the April 9 Assembly elections despite appeals from his family, fans and the ruling BJP not to politicise his death.
His die-hard fans have staged fleeting protests at BJP rallies, with a few even raising slogans demanding justice for Zubeen during a campaign meeting addressed by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who responded by asserting he would “not spare” anyone politicising the case.
However, opinion is divided on whether the demand will impact the polls.
A section, especially in the age group of 18 to 25, believes it can have “some impact” on the elections while others say it will not be a factor as the demand for justice and elections are not linked.
The call for justice gathered fresh traction following the March 25 ruling of a Singapore coroner’s court that Zubeen died of “accidental drowning” and that there was no foul play — a declaration that is in sharp contrast to Sarma’s assertion in the Assembly in November that the icon had been murdered.
The state police’s special investigation team (SIT) in December invoked murder charges against four of the seven accused, all of whom are in judicial custody.
The Opposition Congress’s guarantee that it will ensure justice for Zubeen within 100 days of coming to power has only amplified the demand before the polls.
Countering accusations of politicising Zubeen’s death, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said after a rally in Dibrugarh district on Wednesday: “I honestly don’t believe that such things should be politicised…”
She added: “But I think that when there is a demand among the public that somebody who they revered and respected is not getting justice, then — as politicians — isn’t it our duty to say that yes, we are going to make every effort to give justice? How is that politicisation?… We cannot ignore the voices of millions and millions of Assamese people.”
The demand for justice is a common refrain among those visiting Zubeen Kshetra, work on which started in March following sustained criticism about the delay. Those whom this correspondent met on a trip to Upper Assam to gauge the mood of the state ahead of the single-phase polls also said they wanted justice.
The elections are being held before the Bihu festivities from April 13, a time when Zubeen’s fans and admirers looked forward to his popular live shows.
Sample this: A 35-member BJP women’s group visiting Zubeen Kshetra told The Telegraph they were sure of retaining power given the “good work” done by the party’s government in the state.
“Yes, people are talking about justice. We also want justice for Zubeen. We want closure. We love him. We think it is a murder but the issue will not have an impact,” said Pratibha Baruah, a member of the group.
Tapan Saikia of Nagaon, too, wanted speedy justice but felt it would have no impact on the polls.
Gunjan Kumar Das, Tandrali Bhuyan and Rukia Hussain of Dibrugarh University differed.
While on a visit to the Rang Ghar in Sivasagar, the trio hailed the overall performance of the government but said on their own that they were unhappy because justice was yet to be delivered in the Zubeen case.
“It is such a sad thing. This issue should not be dragged because it affects generations,” Bhuyan said.
For her colleague Das, Zubeen’s death was a “burning issue” but one that should not be linked to the elections.
Arnab Kashyap of JB College in Jorhat, Mintu Gogoi, who works at an eatery in Jorhat, and Hemanta Bakti, a tea community member from Titabar, told this newspaper during separate conversations that the demand would impact the polls.
Bakti pointed to the chief minister’s assertion in September-end “not to vote for us in 2026 if we cannot give justice to Zubeen Garg”.
There is widespread discussion and resentment over Sarma backtracking from his pledge to ensure justice and passing the buck to the court.
Gogoi said: “The CM should have left the case to the judiciary instead of asserting we will deliver justice. There will be some impact on the elections.”
The Zubeen Garg Fan Club is not amused with either the BJP or the Congress for “politicising” the issue, adding that the outfit would see how the parties deal with the matter post-election.
“Zubeen Garg should have been kept away from politics. People don’t like what the CM said or what the Congess is doing. We are not liking it,” a club member said, requesting anonymity.
The fan club member said discussions in a common WhatsApp group suggested most members in the state, around 20,000, would not vote in the elections because of issues surrounding Zubeen.
Many like Jayanta Das of Tezpur said they would continue to seek justice till it was delivered. A BJP member from Mariani said the issue was being discussed among party members to prevent any fallout.
“We don’t know whether the Zubeen case will impact the polls or not but we can say there will be a mass movement after the elections over the demand,” Das said, making it clear that the issue would not die down and that there would be “no closure” till justice was delivered.
- Assam votes on April 9