Assam shuts down Tuesday to bid farewell to Zubeen Garg
Assam will come to a standstill on Tuesday, not because of a storm, not because of strife, but because its beloved son, its musical soul, Zubeen Garg, is going home for the last time.
In a rare, emotional gesture, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that all schools and colleges across Assam will remain closed.
In Kamrup district, where Zubeen’s final rites will be held, even government offices will shut their doors. Not for protest. Not for politics. But for love. For grief. For gratitude.
“This is not just a funeral. It’s Assam’s farewell to the voice that sang our joys, our sorrows, our pride,” said CM Sarma, his voice thick with emotion.
The last ride: Simple, sacred, silent
There will be no grand parade. No blaring horns. No chaotic crowds.
Just an ambulance.
A small bus carrying his grieving wife, his closest kin, his dearest friends.
And silence — the kind that only follows the loss of a giant.
“Just as we brought him home from the airport, we will now escort him to his final resting place — with dignity, with peace,” Sarma said.
At the cremation ground on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam Police pallbearers will carry his mortal remains from the highway — a final salute from the state he made proud. A gun salute. A guard of honour. Then, quietly, the rituals — led by the family’s chosen priest, exactly as they wish.
“We will follow their lead. This day belongs to them — and to him,” Sarma added.
Streets closed, hearts open
To honour Zubeen’s final journey, the government has imposed strict traffic controls:
No vehicles from Jagiroad side (except those heading to Meghalaya)
Four to five hours of full restriction from Jorabat side
Heavy police presence to ensure calm, safety, and reverence
The people don’t need orders to mourn. Since Sunday morning, when his body arrived at Guwahati airport from Delhi — flown in from Singapore, where he tragically passed away Friday after a swimming accident — thousands have poured into the streets. Barefoot. Eyes wet. Phones raised not to record, but to remember.
They stood in silence as his casket passed. Some sang his songs. Others wept without sound. Children held up handmade posters: “Zubeen Bhai, Don’t Go.”
CM Sarma who personally received Zubeen’s body in Delhi on Saturday night stood shoulder to shoulder with Union Minister Pabitra Margherita and state officials at Guwahati airport, bowing their heads as the music of Assam returned home one last time.
A state in black, a nation in tears
The government has declared state mourning until Tuesday. Flags fly at half-mast. Radio stations play his hits on loop — not as entertainment, but as elegy.
Zubeen Garg wasn’t just a singer. He was Assam’s heartbeat. The rebel with a mic. The poet of the people. The man who turned folk into fire, ballads into anthems.
And now, as his final song fades, Assam holds its breath.