Pabitra Margherita clarifies no link to proposed Zubeen Garg festival in Guwahati

Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita and BJP MLA Rupak Sarmah have distanced themselves from a proposed Zubeen Mahotsav in Guwahati, clarifying that neither they nor Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are associated with the event amid a controversy over the use of names of individuals listed on its organising committee without their consent.

Margherita issued the clarification in a social media post on Monday, October 12 stating that he and the Chief Minister had no association with the proposed non-governmental festival being planned in the name of late singer and musician Zubeen Garg.

“The Chief Minister and I are not associated with any proposed non-governmental mahotsav or event in the name of the great artist Zubeen Garg in Guwahati,” Margherita wrote.

Rupak Sarmah, the BJP MLA from Nagaon, also denied any association with the proposed event. In a separate social media post, he said the matter had come to his notice through news reports and clarified that he was not involved in the festival.

The clarifications come after the organisers announced plans for a three-day Zubeen Mahotsav at Latasil field in Guwahati from November 18 to 20 to mark the birth anniversary of the late singer, who died in Singapore on September 19 last year.

The proposed festival has drawn objections from Zubeen Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) president Utpal Sarma, both of whom said their names had been included in the event’s organising committee without their consent.

According to the proposed committee details, Garima was named chief adviser, while Utpal Sarma and AASU chief adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya were listed as patrons.

Garima has categorically denied agreeing to serve as chief adviser and said she was not associated with the event in any capacity. She also stated that the organisers had not formally approached the Zubeen Garg Trust regarding the proposed festival.

Questioning the use of her name without permission, Garima said it could mislead the public and create confusion about her involvement in the event.

The controversy has also brought attention to an alternative plan to commemorate the singer’s birthday in Dibrugarh. The All Assam Zubeen Garg Fan Club, with the support of local residents, has announced plans to observe the occasion as Srishtir Din, or a day dedicated to creativity.

The proposed Guwahati festival has therefore faced a series of public disassociations from individuals named in its organising structure, with questions raised over consent and the representation of their involvement.