Why Zubeen Garg shouldn’t influence Assam election issue

Even though close family members, not to speak of the millions of fans and well-wishers of revered cultural icon Zubeen Garg, continue to urge avoiding the use of maverick singer’s name in electoral politics, it is apprehended that his untimely death last year in a foreign land and issues related with it will dominate the campaigning in Assam’s legislative polls, scheduled for 9 April.

As it is, the date is just ahead of the widely celebrated spring festival Rongali/Bohag Bihu across the Brahmaputra valley. Indications have surfaced that the Assembly elections will witness a high-voltage campaigning on Zubeen’s controversial demise in Singapore on 19 September 2025 near Lazarus Island in sea waters. Subsequent investigations in Singapore have concluded that the popular singer’s death was accidental, but the manner of his sudden departure continues to annoy the youth, as reflected in social media posts. A coroner’s court in Singapore recently ruled that the 53-year old entertainer died due to accidental drowning, though parallel investigations in Assam still treat the case as suspected murder.

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Singapore’s state coroner Adam Nakhoda, while delivering his findings on 25 March, said there was no reason to disagree with the Police Coast Guard’s conclusion after examining all evidence, as reported in the island nation’s mainstream daily The Straits Times. A death certificate issued by Singapore General Hospital listed the cause of death as drowning. Testimony revealed that despite efforts by friends to persuade the intoxicated singer, Zubeen went for a second swim, though he appeared visibly exhausted, and refused to wear a life jacket, the report added. The court concluded that he lost consciousness in the water, leading to his drowning.

The coroner noted that there was no evidence of foul play, no delay in rescue efforts, and no indication that anyone held him underwater. The incident occurred during a yacht trip that departed from Marina at Keppel Bay. Witnesses, including the vessel’s captain, testified that the singer appeared unsteady even before boarding, and required assistance moving around. The captain’s assistant told the court in January that no one had forced him to consume alcohol or enter the water. A few acquaintances already in the water assisted him to the best of their abilities to get back on the boat.

There was no evidence to suggest his face had been deliberately held under water, asserted the coroner. The Singapore verdict created a fresh political storm in Assam, as the Opposition parties questioned the claim of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, made in the state Assembly in November, that there had been a planned conspiracy to murder Zubeen. Pradesh Congress Committee chief Gaurav Gogoi drew the contradiction between the Singapore court’s final findings and Assam government’s “conclusion” of murder. Gogoi, who is the deputy Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha and currently a Congress nominee in the Assembly polls, termed the Singapore verdict as a gift to those accused individuals, who are still in judicial custody.

Other Opposition leaders also demanded clarity and accountability from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Dispur. They questioned the integrity of investigations carried by a special team of Assam police personnel over Zubeen’s death, where murder charges were slapped against four individuals, namely Shyamkanu Mahanta (chief organiser of the 4th North East India Festival in Singapore, where Zubeen was supposed to perform on 20 September), the singer’s manager Siddharth Sharma, and two co-artistes Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta.

Three others arrested on associated charges are Zubeen’s cousin and police officer Sandipan Garg, and two security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya. Responding to the criticism, Sarma said the Singapore conclusion only strengthened the case registered in Assam. Highlighting that Assam investigation was independent of Singapore’s, Sarma pointed out that both the investigations revealed that Zubeen consumed alcohol, crossing the permissible limit for swimming (up to 333 milligrams per 100 millilitre of blood, suggesting severe intoxication).

The additional charge in the Assam probe was that Zubeen was made to consume alcohol by Amritprabha the previous night as part of a larger conspiracy. Sarma, who is contesting the upcoming election, argued that the Singapore ruling will work in favour of the case, now being heard in the local court. Lately, an exclusive fast-track court has been constituted to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis. Born in a modest family to Mohini Mohon Borthakur and Ily Borthakur (who died some years back) in Tura, Meghalaya, Zubeen original name was Jiban Borthakur (he later adopted his showbiz name). He had two sisters, Jonkey who died in a road accident, and Palme, a city-based professional. Married to popular fashion designer Garima Saikia in 2002, Zubeen got instant national fame with his resounding voice in the song ‘Ya Ali..’ for Bollywood movie Gangster (2006).

An animal lover, a philanthropist and versatile genius, Zubeen sang thousands of songs in multiple languages and could play a number of musical instruments. The identical face of Assam’s hugely popular Bihu functions in recent decades, Zubeen also produced and acted in Assamese movies. It may be mentioned that the ruling BJP and the outspoken Chief Minister faced an initial backlash for mishandling the Zubeen death issue, where the Opposition leaders levelled a series of allegations over the sensitive matter. In her recent visit to Assam, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also raised the issue after visiting Samadhi Kshetra, the memorial built for Zubeen at the Sonapur locality on the outskirts of Guwahati, to pay tribute to the departed singer.

Weeks back, Zubeen’s widow Garima Saikia Garg sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing her concern over delays in the judicial process. Understanding the intention of a section of people, including politicians to exploit the name of Zubeen, his uncle Manoj Borthakur recently commented that the family has been waiting for justice for the last six months. He observed that some political influencers are trying to put up the Zubeen issue as an anti-government agenda.

Borthakur, who visited Singapore to attend the coroner’s court, also added that some writers went on publishing books on Zubeen for commercial purposes, but they hardly bothered about the singer during his period of struggle, and the contributions he made for Assam’s cultural landscape. If all these people had focused and encouraged his talent, Zubeen would have received due recognition during his lifetime itself, Borthakur asserted. There is no need to cash in on his name now while seeking votes.

(THE WRITER IS A GUWAHATI-BASED SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATESMAN)