Singer’s final journey: Thousands bid adieu to Zubeen Garg in Assam

Guwahati: The mortal remains of Assam’s most loved singer, Zubeen Garg, reached his hometown on Sunday morning, triggering an outpouring of grief as thousands lined the streets to catch a last glimpse of their icon.

The body, flown in from Delhi on a commercial flight, arrived at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport around 7 a.m.

It had been brought to the national capital from Singapore shortly after midnight, where Garg tragically passed away on Friday following a swimming accident. His wife, Garima Saikia Garg, broke down as the coffin was lowered near the runway.

She placed a traditional Assamese gamosa and flowers on the casket before accompanying it in a flower-bedecked ambulance.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, along with senior state officials, were also present at the airport to receive the body and pay their respects.

It was CM Sarma who received the mortal remains of the late singer in Delhi airport on Saturday late at night. From the airport, the convoy began its slow journey towards Garg’s Kahilipara residence, barely 25 km away. But with roads choked by tens of thousands of mourners, the passage was painfully slow.

People showered petals on the ambulance, sang his songs in unison, and held aloft banners, cut-outs, and gamosas emblazoned with the words ‘Zubeen Garg Forever’.

Many were in tears, crying out, “Why Zubeen da, why did you leave us so soon?”

Leading the procession on foot were Assam Director General of Police Harmeet Singh and Guwahati Police Commissioner Parthasarathi Mahanta, clearing the path for the ambulance. Behind it followed Garg’s favourite open jeep, carrying his portrait and members of his music troupe.

The singer’s body was first taken to his Kahilipara home, where family members, including his 85-year-old ailing father, were given time in privacy to bid farewell.

Entry to the lane was restricted to ensure the family’s wish for solitude was respected. Later in the day, the mortal remains will be kept at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex to allow the public to pay homage.

The Assam Cabinet is expected to decide on the cremation venue later this evening. Markets remained shut across parts of Assam as the state grappled with the loss of an artiste who, over three decades, gave voice to more than 38,000 songs in 40 languages and dialects.

For millions, Zubeen Garg was not just a singer but an emotion – one whose final journey home was marked by a sea of humanity, united in grief.

IANS