India bids tearful farewell to maverick musician Zubeen Garg
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Fans gather during the cremation of Indian musician Zubeen Garg on the outskirts of Guwahati on Sept 23.
PHOTO: AFP
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GUWAHATI, India – Tens of thousands of mourners thronged the streets of India’s north-eastern Assam state on Sept 23 to bid farewell to a flamboyant artiste, celebrated as much for his music as for his irreverent persona.
Zubeen Garg, 52, drowned in Singapore
“He will be remembered for his rich contribution to music,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a condolence message.
“His renditions were very popular among people across all walks of life.”
Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state had “lost one of its favourite sons”.
“Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls,” he said in a statement.
“He has left a void that will never be filled.”
As news of his death broke, hundreds of thousands of people poured onto the streets across the state, breaking into his popular numbers.
Legions of people also turned up to pay their respects at a stadium complex in Assam’s biggest city, Guwahati, where his embalmed body was kept for two days.
Garg was cremated on Sept 23 with full state honours, and accorded a 21-gun salute.
India’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was also in attendance, as a representative of Mr Modi.
Assam has declared four days of state mourning, with Mr Sarma flying to New Delhi to receive the singer’s body.
His death brought the state of more than 30 million people to a standstill, with businesses shuttering and the government suspending all non-emergency services.
Fans paying their respects in Jalukbari, Guwahati city, on Sept 21 as the hearse bearing the body of musician Zubeen Garg drove past them.
PHOTO: AFP
Garg, who rarely ever shied away from speaking his mind, largely eschewed the popular world of Bollywood and chose to sing primarily in Assamese and other local dialects.
He was also a gifted actor, having won several accolades for his performances in Assamese cinema.
He identified himself as an atheist and was a vocal critic of Hinduism’s deeply entrenched caste system.
“I don’t have any caste, religion or god,” he once said, one of his many proclamations rejecting tradition.
Garg is survived by his wife, Mrs Garima Saikia Garg. AFP
