Farewell, Mayabin

September 19, 2025. Assam lost a chunk of her soul and self. Zubeen Garg is dead, and a chasm of deafening silence echoes through the minds of countless people who call the State home.

- By Archita Kashyap

The sounds of my childhood, youth and working life have been silenced by the sudden demise of an icon whose music united people, humanitarian actions held forth on the united Assamese identity amidst cantankerous political discourse, and whose defiance of a religious or caste label symbolised everything that this land by the Brahmaputra stands for.

Garg's ability to influence people, and to mobilise compassion and empathy is unmatched in recent memory, beyond the global celebrity of Michael Jackson or the magnetism of Princess Diana.

The Assamese experience is unique. Till today, bonfires, guitars and singing replace an absent night life in most towns and villages. As a 90s teenager, I find that significant memories are linked to his songs as background score.

Our generation (35-50) grew up under the shadow of insurgency. The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) movement was crushed by the Central government through President's rule, with Operations 'Bajrang' and 'Rhino' controlling the violence. For Assam's youth, there were no jobs and no real chance to build a future. Prior to this was a violent history of language riots over Assamese and Bengali, and the six-year-long Assam Andolan. Human rights violations by the Armed Forces were reported in regional newspapers but never brought consequences.