- Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, 52, was cremated in Guwahati with full state honours and a 21-gun salute, as thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects.
- Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a three-day mourning period, suspending all official entertainment and celebrations.
- Garg’s sister Palmi Borthakur performed the last rites, while his song Mayabini was played at the cremation, fulfilling the singer’s own wish expressed in 2019.
Noted Assamese singer Zubeen Garg was cremated on Monday with full state honours, including a 21-gun salute, as thousands of fans gathered to bid farewell to the celebrated musician.
Garg, 52, died on September 19 during a sea outing in Singapore. Following a second post-mortem examination, his body was brought to Sarsajai Stadium before being taken to the cremation ground in Kamarkuchi, near Guwahati.
The singer’s younger sister, Palmi Borthakur, performed the last rites, assisted by close associates Arun Garg and Rahul Gautam Sarma.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a three-day state mourning, with all official entertainment and celebrations suspended. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, representing the central government, also paid his respects at the funeral.
At the crematorium, Garg’s song Mayabini played in the background, with emotional fans singing along. The moment carried special significance, as Garg had once told a 2019 concert audience that he wished the song to be played after his death.
Initial reports suggested that Garg died during a scuba diving incident. However, his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, clarified that the singer suffered a seizure while swimming at Lazarus Island, dismissing claims of an incident linked to scuba diving. She noted that Zubeen, accompanied by associates including his drummer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and manager Siddhartha Sharma, was wearing a life jacket during his first swim. After returning to shore, Zubeen went for a second swim, during which he suffered a seizure and was later pronounced dead at Singapore General Hospital at 2.30 pm.
The Singapore authorities conducted an initial autopsy on September 19, and the death certificate listed drowning as the cause of death. Despite this, questions arose in Assam regarding the circumstances of Garg's death, prompting a second post-mortem examination.
The decision to conduct a second autopsy stemmed primarily from public outcry and demands circulating on social media for greater clarity about the circumstances of Garg's death. Fans expressed scepticism about the initial findings, suspecting foul play or negligence by those accompanying the singer, including North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and manager Siddhartha Sharma.