‘I have done nothing, Zubeen da guided me’: Amguri’s Shantiban renamed ‘Zubeen Nagar’ after 18 flood-hit families get new homes

In Amguri’s Ward No. 2, Shantiban has a new identity — ‘Zubeen Nagar’ — after Assamese content creator and YouTuber Mr Bitu helped build new homes for 18 families whose houses were washed away in the devastating floods of the Jhanji River, in a tribute to late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, whose philanthropy, compassion and work for people and communities have inspired many.
 

Garima Saikia Garg formally inaugurated the newly constructed houses and the settlement by cutting a ribbon on Sunday, August 9.

The 18 families had been left without permanent shelter after the floods completely washed away their homes. Many of them were forced to live under tarpaulin sheets in extremely difficult conditions.
 

Mr Bitu, known for his real-story videos and community work, took up the initiative to construct houses for the affected families after reaching the area and witnessing their plight.

Recalling how he reached the settlement, Bitu said he had initially left his home to help people affected by floods in other areas but eventually reached Amguri.
 

He said an e-rickshaw driver named Subhojit helped him transport roofing sheets and told him about the settlement. Soon after, he reached the area and saw the difficult conditions in which the families were living.

“When I reached this place, I saw how people were living here, under tarpaulin sheets. There were pregnant women and other people just lying there,” Bitu said.
 

Moved by what he saw, Bitu said he decided to build houses for the families.

“I said I will make houses for them. After saying that, I realised what I had done,” he recalled.

He then returned home to arrange funds for the project. After a video highlighting the plight of the families went viral, people from different places came forward with donations, including money, mattresses and other essential items.
 

Mr Bitu, however, credited the initiative to late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, saying the singer continued to inspire and guide him even after his death.
 

“When he was alive, he used to guide me, and after his death also he is guiding me. I have done nothing. It is Zubeen Garg who is helping me and guiding me on this path,” Bitu said.
 

Mr Bitu said he did not know how he ended up reaching the village but believed that Zubeen Garg had guided him there and inspired him to take up the initiative.
 

The construction of the houses has now provided the 18 flood-hit families with permanent shelter. The settlement was renamed Zubeen Nagar as a tribute to the late singer and his enduring influence on those working to help people in need.
 

The inauguration of the new homes and the renaming of Shantiban marked a fresh beginning for the families who had lost everything in the floods.