Celebrated singer Zubeen Garg died on September 19. Days after his death, his last podcast with novelist-author Rita Chowdhury went viral, in which he made several candid revelations about his life and predicted how his home state, Assam, would mourn him.
Recounting his years in Mumbai, he said, "I stayed in Mumbai for 12 years, I got bored of the city life. People ask me why I don't live in Mumbai? I said, 'A king should never leave his kingdom. There is no king there. When Lata Mangeshkar died, did they do anything? No. When Rajesh Khanna died, there was just news - Rajesh Khanna died. There is no king. But if I die here in Assam, Assam will remain closed for 7 days.'"
He ended with a note on how people perceived him, "I live like that, so they are scared. They don't call me because they are afraid I will scold them. Rohit Shetty called me to sing a song for his film, but I said, 'No, I didn't like it. I won't come.' Rohit was like, 'What kind of man is he?' Pritam said, 'He is like this. He is a king. He lives like that.' If you have work, come here to Assam. I will not go."
Assam Declares Three-Day State Mourning
Following Zubeen Garg's death, the Assam government declared three days of official mourning from September 20 to September 22, during which all official entertainment, public celebrations, and ceremonial events were suspended. September 22 and 23 were also declared dry days across the state, with liquor outlets remaining closed as a mark of respect.
On Tuesday, Garg was cremated with full state honours at Kamarkuchi, on the outskirts of Guwahati. Thousands of fans gathered to bid farewell to the artist, many of them breaking down as his final rites were performed. Garg's sister, Palme Borthakur, lit the funeral pyre, while his wife, Garima Saikia, was seen in tears.
The mortal remains of Zubeen Garg were kept at the Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex in Sarusajai for fans and well-wishers to pay their respects.
Huge crowds gathered at the venue after the Chief Minister announced the arrangement. Following the turnout, CM Sarma later said the stadium would remain open all night.
Taking to X, he wrote: "More and more people wish to see our beloved Zubeen one last time, and we deeply understand these sentiments. Therefore, Bhogeswar Baruah Stadium will remain open throughout the night today for the public to pay their respects to Zubeen. Tomorrow also, the mortal remains of Zubeen will be kept at Sarusajai for people to offer their homage."
Who Was Zubeen Garg?
Zubeen Garg was one of Assam's most popular cultural icons, known for his songs in Assamese, Bengali and Hindi. He rose to nationwide fame with the hit track Ya Ali from the film Gangster and went on to deliver several other popular numbers, including Dil Tu Hi Bataa from Krrish 3.
Garg had also worked extensively in Assamese films as a singer, actor and director. Some of his hits included Kanchanjunga, Mission China, Dinabandhu and Mon Jai.
In 2022, he sustained a minor head injury after falling unconscious at a resort in Dibrugarh. He was later flown to Guwahati in an air ambulance and treated at a private super-speciality hospital.
How Did Zubeen Garg Die?
Initial reports suggested that Zubeen Garg died while scuba diving. A representative of the North East India Festival in Singapore told NDTV, "It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Zubeen Garg's passing."
"While scuba diving, he experienced breathing difficulties and was immediately given CPR before being rushed to Singapore General Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was declared deceased in the ICU around 2.30 pm IST," Anuj Kumar Boruah said.
However, fresh details have since emerged suggesting otherwise.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the singer died while swimming in the sea without a life jacket. According to PTI, Sarma said, "Zubeen died while swimming without a life jacket," adding that Singapore authorities will question the people who had accompanied the singer for swimming.
Sarma also said there is a video in which Zubeen Garg is seen jumping into the sea from a yacht wearing a life jacket. "After the 1.26 mark in the video, Zubeen Garg can be seen returning to the yacht. According to reports, he jumped into the sea for the second time, but after taking off the life jacket, saying it was uncomfortable swimming with the life jacket on," the Chief Minister added.
Moments later, Garg was found floating in the sea, unresponsive. He was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead around 2:30 pm Indian time. An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow.
The organisers of the North East India Festival also issued a statement underlining that they were unaware of the yacht visit before the accident.
The statement read, "Earlier today, our entire team was engaged in a business meeting with senior Singaporean industrialists and policymakers at the Shangri-La Hotel to facilitate investments in Northeast India. During the meeting, we received a call from Zubeen's manager informing us that he had met with an accident and had been rushed to Singapore General Hospital. We later learned that a few members of the local Assamese community had taken him on a yacht visit, of which we had no prior knowledge," the statement further read.
Background
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe Zubeen Garg's untimely death. Taking to X, he wrote, "In regard to the untimely death of our beloved Zubeen Garg, we will not spare anyone. Today, I had a meeting with the @DGPAssamPolice and the ADGP, CID, along with senior officers including the Chief Secretary of Assam. I have instructed the DGP to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with the best officers of Assam Police."
He added that viscera samples will be sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL), Delhi, for detailed examination. "The SIT will have full freedom to investigate the case with complete professional integrity," the CM stated.
Earlier, the state government prohibited Syamkanu Mahanta, the main organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, where Garg was scheduled to perform, from holding any functions or festivals in Assam.
Garg's body was flown from Singapore to Delhi and later transported to Assam on a commercial flight that landed in Guwahati on Sunday morning.
