In the silence after the song, Zubeen lives on: Margherita residents pay tribute to the icon

In a wave of collective sorrow that has engulfed Assam and resonated far beyond its borders, the immortal voice of Zubeen Garg has fallen silent. The beloved singer, composer, and cultural icon, who often proclaimed with uncompromising conviction, “I have no religion, no caste, I am human and an atheist,” passed away on September 19 in Singapore at the age of 52, succumbing to drowning. His death came just a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore, leaving behind a grief-stricken state and a nation grappling with the loss of a voice that transcended barriers of identity, faith, and language.

Affectionately known as Zubeen Da, he was far more than an artist; he was the living heartbeat of Assam, a voice that electrified spirits, bridged divides, and infused life into generations through melodies of love, resilience, and unvarnished emotion. His sudden and untimely departure created a void that words could scarcely fill, a wound that cut across every section of society and awakened a profound sense of collective mourning.

From September 20 to 23, the Margherita Eco Park in Tinsukia district was transformed into a sanctified ground of remembrance. Under the initiative of the Margherita Municipal Board, the park became a luminous haven where grief, love, and memory converged. For four days, thousands thronged the site, converging without regard to caste, creed, race, language, or religion, weaving together a tapestry of human devotion that testified to Zubeen Garg’s enduring power to unite.

Earthen lamps flickered across the grounds like constellations reclaimed from the night sky, candles swayed aloft in silent vigil, and cascades of flowers—marigold and jasmine, vibrant and fragrant—were placed before portraits of the late icon whose eyes seemed to radiate eternal warmth. The atmosphere trembled with chants of solidarity—“Jai Zubeen Da, Zubeen Long Live, Jai Aai Asom”—as processions snaked their way through Margherita, Ledo, Bargolai, Jagun, Lekhapani, and Segunbari. The candlelight marches illuminated the night with rivers of flame, their collective glow becoming both a gesture of mourning and an affirmation of unity.

These gatherings transcended ritual. They became pilgrimages of the spirit, where men and women, young and old, walked arm-in-arm, their voices rising in chorus as they sang Zubeen’s timeless classics, from the romantic strains of “Mayabini” to the soul-stirring ballads of Assamese tradition. Every note, every verse, carried not only the ache of loss but also the joy of having lived in the era of a man whose artistry belonged to the people. These were not processions of grief alone—they were acts of solidarity, of remembrance, of unshakable brotherhood forged in love, music, and humanity.

On September 23, the Margherita Municipal Board orchestrated a live broadcast from the Eco Park, ensuring that the people of this eastern outpost could partake in the solemn final rites being performed far away. Thousands gathered before glowing screens under the afternoon sun, their silence broken only by the faint crackle of the feed and the gentle swell of Zubeen’s voice echoing in loops. In that moment, distance ceased to matter; the people of Margherita were united with the soul of the artist they revered.

Anand Kumar Sharma, Chairman of the Margherita Municipal Board, captured the essence of this enduring bond, remarking that the people of Margherita had come together to be part of this solemn moment and to pay their last respects to an icon who would forever live in their hearts through his music and legacy. As the broadcast ended, the crowd erupted in one last thunderous chorus of his songs, voices breaking yet resolute, a collective vow that the spirit of Zubeen Garg—fierce, free, and forever human—would not fade with his mortal departure. His immortality lies not in monuments of stone or urns of ash, but in the rhythms and lyrics that will forever stir the soul of Assam and reverberate through the heart of a nation.