Songs, poetry & prayers mark Cachar Sammelan’s tribute to Zubeen Garg

Silchar, Sept 23: The headquarter of Cachar district, Silchar, came together to pay tribute to Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg as the District Committee of Barak Upotyokya Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan held a condolence meet at Banga Bhawan, on Monday.

What unfolded was not merely a ritual of mourning, but a heartfelt outpouring of love for the voice that defined a generation and transcended the borders of Northeast India.

The gathering brought together community leaders and cultural stalwarts who paid heartfelt tribute to the iconic musician.

Among the gathering at the meet were district president Sanjib Deb Laskar, who sat alongside Assam Sahitya Sabha’s district president Jogeshwar Barman, Dr Swapan Sinha of Nikhil Bishnupriya Manipuri Mahasabha, and Marwari community leader Kamal Sarda.

Among those who paid tribute were former Sammelan president Taimur Raja Choudhury, Prof Ashraf Hossain of Guru Charan University, Cachar College’s Dr Hemanta Bora, Excise superintendent Shantanu Hazarika, Dr Ramaprasad Biswas, Dr Santosh Chakraborty, and theatre artist Mahadev Chakraborty.

“I have no caste, no religion. I am free.” The singer’s immortal words lingered unspoken in the hall, as people of all languages, faiths, and communities united in their grief.

Speaker after speaker reiterated that Zubeen was not just an artist of Assam, but a treasure of the Northeast whose passing had left behind an irreplaceable void.

Choudhury urged the gathering to remember “Zubeen the human being” beyond “Zubeen the artiste”. Laskar fondly recalled the singer’s youthful brilliance, saying, “He sang a Bengali song for me and, when I asked for its Assamese version, he learnt it in half an hour and sang it just as beautifully.”

Dr Bora shared how Zubeen once volunteered to compose music for a local play and surprised them by not only directing the music but also turning up on the day of performance. “That was his humility,” he said.

Dr Sinha recalled Zubeen’s devotion to a Bishnupriya Manipuri film, “He understood every word, every emotion of the story before singing, and even guided the choreographer.”

The evening was steeped in both sorrow and celebration. The hall resonated with Vedic chants by Dr Paritosh Dutta, duets by Nipu Sharma and Bapi Roy, solos by Seema Purkayastha and Meghraj Chakraborty, Hasna Ara Shely’s poetry, and a moving flute recital of Zubeen’s melodies by Soumen Pal Choudhury. Cultural secretary Abhijit Dhar’s coordination ensured every performance was a fitting homage.

In Silchar that evening, grief became a collective chorus — one that testified to the indelible mark Zubeen Garg left on every heart he touched.