Guwahati, April 16: Zubeen Garg's security has been beefed up after the singer was stopped from singing Hindi songs at a Bihu event on Friday, bringing back memories of an Ulfa (Independent) diktat last year to play or perform only Assamese songs.
Zubeen's performance at a Bihu function at Noonmati here on Friday was stopped when he started singing Hindi songs. However, the singer performed some Hindi numbers at an event in Bharalumukh later on Friday and in Bongaigaon district on Saturday evening.
Police sources said the step to beef up the singer's security had nothing to do with Friday night's incident, but they feared that members of Ulfa (I) could take advantage of the situation as Zubeen had gone against the banned group's diktat.
Police sources said Zubeen's five personal security officers (PSOs), who were provided to the singer last year after Ulfa (I)'s warning, have been asked to be extra vigilant.
Zubeen has sung over 16,000 songs in Assamese, Hindi and Bengali over the past 25 years.
On Friday evening, the first day of Rongali Bihu, Assam's most important festival, Zubeen had begun his performance at Noonmati with his popular Assamese numbers. A few organisers stepped on to the stage as soon as he started singing Dil tu hi bata from the Hrithik Roshan starer Krrish 3.
"You can't dictate (to) me. Bihu is a music festival," the singer told an organiser who took the mike and told him to stop his show. "I have sung over 16,000 songs in the past 25 years, I don't care about your restrictions. Don't pay me for whatever I have sung here today and now it's over," Zubeen replied and announced his decision to stop his performance.
"I love you all but I don't like them," Zubeen told the large audience that had gathered for the event.
Guwahati police commissioner Hiren Chandra Nath told The Telegraph today that the PSOs were provided to Zubeen last year based on an assessment of threat perception by the special branch headquarters, which does the same for VIPs and ministers.
"I am an artiste and music has no language. Freedom of an artiste to sing in whatever language he wants should not be curtailed," Zubeen told local television channels soon after the incident.
Organisers of the Bihu function at Noonmati said they had nothing against Hindi but did not want Hindi songs to be sung at Bihu functions. When told that Ulfa (I) had issued a similar diktat last year, an organiser today said the decision to not allow Hindi songs was their own and not inspired by any organisation. Zubeen's wife, Garima, told television channels that the agreement with the organisers of the function had no instructions about not performing Hindi songs.
Another Assamese singer, Manas Robin, termed the incident an insult to Zubeen. He, however, refused to comment on whether Hindi songs should be sung at Bihu functions. "I leave that to the people to decide," said Robin, who sang only Assamese songs.
Support for Zubeen poured in on social media. Many termed it an attempt to curb an artiste's freedom of expression while some were of the view that Bihu was not the occasion to sing Hindi songs.
