Saturday, 20 September 2025
Saturday, 20 September 2025
People from all walks of life gathered at Zubeen Garg’s residence in Guwahati on Saturday to stand in solidarity with the bereaved family as they awaited the arrival of the singer’s mortal remains from Singapore, where he died the previous day.
From political leaders and artists to members of the general public, hundreds lined up outside Garg’s flat in the city’s Kahilipara area.
A garlanded photograph of the singer was placed in the parking lot of the apartment, where fans and well-wishers offered floral tributes. His wife, Garima Garg, joined the mourners for a while, sitting among them with tears in her eyes.
Condolence meetings and memorials were organised across Assam, with shops and commercial establishments in several places, including Guwahati, shutting down spontaneously as a mark of respect.
Rallies and gatherings were held in towns such as Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Nagaon, where people sang the popular numbers of the 52-year-old singer together.
Several organisations also postponed or cancelled sports and cultural events for the next three days to honour his memory.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Garg, who was in Singapore to attend the North East India Festival, had gone with 17 others on a yacht trip and died while “swimming in the sea without a life jacket”.
He said an autopsy was conducted at a hospital in Singapore on Saturday and the body is expected to arrive in New Delhi late at night, before being flown to Guwahati in a chartered flight.
State Congress president and deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, said, “It is still difficult to believe that Zubeen da is no more. I request all to give a befitting farewell to the singer so that his soul finds peace in the after-world and wherever he is, he knows how much we loved him.”
Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi, after meeting the family, said, “The family is in deep sorrow and we are with them in sharing this grief.”
Questioning the circumstances of the death, he added, “Though the chief minister has announced a CID inquiry, we feel that a CBI probe is needed. A CBI probe along with the investigation by Singapore authorities will assuage our apprehensions.”
His demand came amid allegations of ‘negligence’ on the part of the festival organisers.
Assam Jatiya Parishad chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the state had lost one of its most passionate voices. “He was an identity of Assam. His songs, his creations touched every strata of society. It is now our responsibility to keep alive his songs, his ideals,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
