Guwahati, Sep 19: Popular singer from Assam Zubeen Garg, best known for his ‘Ya Ali’ song, died in Singapore on Friday, amid conflicting reports about the cause of his death, with the chief organiser of the NEIF claiming that the singer died in an “accident” while on a yatch trip with a few local Assamese community members.
Initially, the organisers of the North East India Festival (NEIF), in which the singer was scheduled to participate, had said in a statement that the singer died while scuba diving.
“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 dead in the ICU around 2.30 pm IST,” a statement issued by organisers of the NEIF said.
However, shortly after the statement, Chief Organiser of NEIF Shyamkanu Mahanta said that Zubeen had gone on a yacht trip with a few members of the local Assamese community when an ”accident” occurred which claimed his life. He didn’t elaborate on nature of the “accident”.
Meanwhile, an audio recording attributed to his wife, Garima Garg, went viral on social media in which she purportedly claimed that her husband had gone with people from the Assamese community to the sea, and while swimming, he had breathing problems and was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
The veracity of the audio clip, however, could not be verified independently by PTI.
According to Singapore’s The Straits Times report, the police said they received a call for assistance at St John’s Island at about 3.30 pm.
A 52-year-old man was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he subsequently died, they said, adding that no foul play is suspected, according to the report.
Zubeen had arrived in Singapore on Wednesday and was ”scheduled to be with us at the festival tomorrow, meeting and interacting with people,” Mahanta told PTI over the phone from the island country.
The entire NEIF team was engaged in a business meeting with senior Singaporean industrialists and policymakers at a hotel to facilitate investments in Northeast India, he said.
“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”, Mahanta said.
The three-day festival, which was scheduled to begin on Friday, was cancelled following the tragedy.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who described Garg’s death as an “immense loss to the state and the nation”, said he has spoken to Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, Shilpak Ambule, to bring the singer’s body to the state.
“We are coordinating to ensure the return of Zubeen’s mortal remains to Assam at the earliest. As soon as the process is firmed up, I will share an update,” he also posted on X.
The 52-year-old Garg had mesmerized youth and elders alike for nearly three decades with his songs and films, which had a universal appeal.
Singer, music composer, film director, and actor, Zubeen is credited with singing in over 40 languages and dialects. Still, it was the song ‘Ya Ali’ from the movie Gangster that brought him fame across the country and earned him the best playback singer at the Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA) in 2006.
The singer, who began singing from the age of three, was an icon for several generations of children and youth who grew up singing or humming his songs.
Be it popular Assamese or western, folk or classical-based songs, Garg gave voice to varied genres of music and excelled in all, with most later-year singers emulating his style of music and singing.
Some of Garg’s popular songs are ‘Anamika’ (featured in his debut Assamese album), ‘Monor Nijanot’, ‘Maya’, ‘Asha’, and ‘Majulir Ejoni Suwali’.
Garg was also never shy of expressing his views on political and social issues.
A large number of Zubeen Garg fan clubs have been set up over the years in every nook and cranny of Assam.
As the news of his death spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Sarbananda Sonowal, as well as celebrities from across various cultural genres, extended their deep condolences to Zubeen’s family.
“Shocked by the sudden demise of popular singer Zubeen Garg. He will be remembered for his rich contribution to music,” the PM posted on ‘X’.
“His renditions were very popular among people across all walks of life. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” he said.
“The passing of Zubeen Garg is a terrible tragedy. His voice defined a generation, and his talent was truly unmatched,” Gandhi said.
Shah said his demise leaves a void that will never be filled. “Deeply saddened to know about the demise of Zubeen Garg Ji, an iconic singer, musician, and film personality from Assam,” Shah posted on ‘X’.
Assam Congress president and the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, mourned Garg’s death and hailed him as a “pride of every Assamese”.
“I am left speechless by the news of the death of Zubeen Garg, the pride of every Assamese, in an accident in Singapore. I cannot find words to express the loss we are feeling,” Gogoi, the Lok Sabha MP of Jorhat from where the singer hailed, said in a statement.
Actor Adil Hussain, musicians Papon, Vishal Mishra, Armaan Malik, and Pritam have also condoled his death.
People across Assam poured onto the streets in shock, mourning the death of the singer.
From thronging his Guwahati residences to his college in his native town Jorhat, and his in-laws’ house in Golaghat, people from different walks of life and age came together to mourn their beloved ‘Zubeen da’, as he was popularly called.(PTI)
