Ya Ali singer Zubeen Garg died in a scuba diving accident in Singapore on Friday. It's unfortunate that his younger sister Jongki Barthakur, a renowned singer, also died in an accident 23 years ago.
Jongki Barthakur was all of 18 when she died in a road mishap in Assam's Sonitpur district on January 12, 2002.
According to local media, Jongki Barthakur was travelling to the Sootea town to participate at her brother's cultural event when her car had a head-on collision with a truck near Balipara which falls under the Rangapara police station.
Zubeen Garg, who died today at the age of 52, was initially also travelling with her in the same car but changed vehicles barely minutes before the accident.
Like her brother, Jongki Barthakur too was a multihyphenate artiste. She acted in several Assamese television serials. Her film credits include Tumi Mur Mathu Mur (2000), Jonaki Mon (2002) and Daag (2001).
Zubeen Garg would often remember his late sister through his social media posts.
In 2020, the singer-actor wished Jongki Barthakur on what would have been her 36th birthday.
Zubeen Garg's death is being mourned by the who's who of the Indian film industry, including his Ya Ali composer Pritam, Adil Hussain, Vishal Dadlani, and Armaan Malik.
Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressed his condolences for Zubeen Garg, saying that he "has gone too early, this was not an age to go".
"Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons. I am in a loss of words to describe what Zubeen meant for Assam. He has gone too early, this was not an age to go. Zubeen's voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls. He has left a void that will never be filled. Our future generations will remember him as a stalwart of Assam's culture, and his works will inspire many more talented artists in the days and years to come," wrote Sarma.
Zubeen Garg is survived by his wife, fashion designer Garima Saikia Garg.
Also Read | How Zubeen Garg Became The Voice Of Ya Ali