Zubeen Garg: An identity for the Assamese Community?
By: Deborshi Gautam
Zubeen Garg is the name of a movement. Zubeen Garg is the name of an identity. Zubeen Garg is the name of a community. Zubeen Garg is the guardian of Assamese culture.
Zubeen Garg provided leadership to the Assamese people from the front at different times and in different situations. In fact, according to the news published in national media, Zubeen Garg is presented merely as an Assamese singer and an ordinary playback singer in Hindi films. But was Zubeen Garg really just a singer as presented in the national media? In today’s write-up, I will try to let you know who Zubeen Garg really was.
In the 1990s, Zubeen Garg entered the Assamese music world. As a percussionist, Zubeen Garg began his journey in music. In the 1990s, he started his musical journey as an instrumentalist for the popular musicians of that time in Assam. Although Zubeen Garg began his journey as an instrumentalist, he had also been trained in vocal music from childhood alongside instruments.
Because his father’s job was frequently transferred, Zubeen Garg and his family could not live in one place for long. From Tura in Meghalaya to Tamulpur, Karimganj, Bijni, Jorhat, Guwahati, and many other places, shifting at short intervals gave Zubeen Garg enough exposure.
At a very young age, he was able to absorb the diversity of Assam. Very soon after starting as an instrumentalist, Zubeen Garg decided to introduce himself as a vocalist.
While studying at B. Baruah College in Guwahati, he was judged as the best singer in the youth festival conducted under Gauhati University. Perhaps Zubeen Garg could already sense what his future journey of life was going to be. Without completing his graduation, Zubeen Garg decided to devote himself fully to music.
In 1992, Zubeen Garg released an album named Anamika. That was a very tough time for Assamese music. Because of the lack of innovation, the Assamese people were on the verge of losing interest in Assamese music. At that time, a thin boy with long hair emerged into the Assamese music world.
Alongside Anamika, another album named Anuradha was released from the same studio at the same time. Since Zubeen was completely new, Anuradha was given more importance than Anamika. It was the season of Durga Puja. Everyone assumed that since Anuradha was being promoted heavily, it would sell much more than Anamika. But before Dashami day arrived, an extraordinary piece of news shocked everyone. Music lovers from across Assam had already bought every single cassette of Anamika before Dashami. That day, Assam gained a new voice. Once Zubeen Garg established himself as a singer, there was no looking back.
Zubeen Garg did not sing only in Assamese. He lent his voice to over 40,000 songs in nearly 40 Indian languages. In terms of numbers, by the age of just 52, no other singer in the world had sung in as many languages or recorded as many songs. This could be a world record for Zubeen Garg, though it has not been officially recognized.
After gaining fame in Assam, he went to Mumbai. There, he sang several Hindi songs, among which the most notable was Ya Ali, for which he won a national award. Even after achieving success as a playback singer in Bollywood, he did not forget his roots.
After some years, Zubeen Garg returned permanently to Assam and reconnected with Assamese music. He always used to say: “Rather than struggling and working in Mumbai, I will live like a king in Assam and work for Assam.” This statement alone proves that he was a proud Assamese. Not only in words but through actions too, Zubeen Garg proved his love and dignity for the Assamese people. Until his last breath, he continued to work for Assam.
In reality, Zubeen Garg was not just a singer. He was at once a singer, composer, music director, lyricist, arranger, film actor, film director, film producer, poet, instrumentalist, social worker, nature lover, animal lover —an extraordinary person adorned with all these attributes.
Just as he infused new life into the nearly dying Assamese music industry, he also revived the stagnant Assamese film industry with the movie Mission China. His journey gave a fresh dimension to Assamese cinema.
During Rongali Bihu in Assam, the most demanded singer for stage shows was Zubeen Garg. But in some Hindi media reports, it was said that Zubeen Garg’s total wealth was several crores of rupees. In reality, if one asks how much wealth he had, the answer would be that calling it several crores is completely false.
Except for a few immovable properties, he did not have much money deposited in banks. This is because Zubeen Garg was a humanitarian artist. Just as people go to politicians seeking financial help for their troubles, people in equal or greater numbers went to Zubeen Garg.
And there was no instance where anyone who went to him or his home seeking help was turned away. Almost all the money he earned from people was spent back for the people. From helping with the treatment of incurable diseases to solving personal family problems, Zubeen Garg never refused to help. Even if he didn’t have enough money, he would borrow from others to help.
He never considered himself separate from common people. Sitting at a roadside stall drinking tea or talking to ordinary people he met during his travels—such gestures defined him as a man of the soil.
For anything that could harm society or the Assamese community, Zubeen Garg always spoke out fearlessly. At any time, in any situation, he raised his voice for the Assamese people. He was considered a public voice of the Assamese community. Throughout his life, instead of being attracted to any political party or ideology, Zubeen Garg preferred to be the voice of the people. For people of every ethnicity, religion, and caste in Assam, he was their beloved artist. He once said: “I have no caste, I have no religion, I am free, I am Kanchanjunga.” He publicly declared: “My caste is Assamese, and my religion is humanity.”
Zubeen Garg always tried to bind the Assamese people together with a garland of unity. For this, millions of people of Assam gave him a permanent place in their hearts. Everyone knew that one call from him could bring change to all of Assam. The people of Assam became accustomed to forgiving his mistakes as those of their own child, brother, or friend and celebrating his every success as their own joy. That is why he was called the heartthrob of the Assamese youth.
When the news spread through the media that Zubeen Garg had fallen ill, people across cities and villages, across castes, religions, and communities, prayed together for his recovery. Many even came forward saying that if needed, they were ready to donate their organs to save him. For many people in Assam, Zubeen Garg was a living ‘god’. Many even considered him their deity.
For the people of Assam, it was unimaginable that Zubeen Garg could ever be sick or hospitalized. They always imagined him as a lively, energetic person, and even today they continue to think of him that way. Thus, the idea that Zubeen Garg could die was unacceptable to anyone in Assam.
When the news of his passing came, silence fell across Assam. Out of deep respect and devotion, a wave of mourning swept through towns, cities, and villages. Shops closed down, vehicles stopped moving spontaneously.
There was hardly a person in Assam who did not shed tears for him. Perhaps such a phenomenon has never been seen elsewhere in the world. No one had words to express their condolences. After his family paid tribute, his body was taken to Sarusajai Stadium for public homage. The sea of people outside the stadium was an extraordinary sight. Everyone was chanting in unison: “Joi Zubeen Da, Aamar Zubeen Da, Amar Zubeen Da!”
Zubeen Garg never liked to see people in distress. During floods, he personally came forward, urging everyone to help the victims. He organized charity football matches, even playing himself, and donated the proceeds for flood relief.
After his death, reports emerged in social and mainstream media about several people in Assam committing suicide out of grief. Some even suffered fatal heart attacks upon hearing the news. His passing proved how much people can love an artist, even to the extent of sacrificing their own lives.
(The author is the Executive Editor of Assamese E- Magazine Sobdobak)
