Assam: Tezpur University PRO resigns amid protests over Zubeen Garg mourning

Guwahati: Samaresh Barman, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Tezpur University, resigned on 24 September 2025, citing ethical issues with how the Public Relations Office was functioning.

His resignation came amid student protests over the university’s handling of state mourning for the late singer Zubeen Garg.

Barman submitted his resignation to Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, saying that the Public Relations Office should focus on serving the university and its students, not promoting individuals.

He added that the office had been working in a way that went against these values, making it difficult for him to stay in his position.

Barman, a former Tezpur University student, expressed gratitude for the opportunities the university had given him but said he could no longer be part of a system that “stifles voices.”

The resignation follows student dissatisfaction after the university held elections for the Tezpur University Students’ Council (TUSC) on 21 September, during the three-day state mourning for Zubeen Garg.

Students requested a condolence programme, but the Vice Chancellor reportedly dismissed their request, which led to protests near the university flagpole.

In response, the university promised to consider renaming the Students’ Council to a Students’ Union, which would require changes to the Tezpur University Act.

They also proposed building a statue of Zubeen Garg on campus, awarding him a posthumous honorary doctorate, and creating a scholarship in his name under the Department of Cultural Studies.

The university also moved the Autumn recess to 24 September–3 October, a decision students saw as an attempt to calm the protests rather than address their concerns.

Barman’s resignation highlights the growing frustration among university staff, caught between institutional pressures and ethical dilemmas.

He concluded in his letter, “I can no longer continue in a system that silences us.”