Meghalaya joins Assam’s uprising for justice in Zubeen Garg’s death

Guwahati: A month after Zubeen Garg’s mysterious drowning in Singapore, Assam’s demand for justice has echoed across Meghalaya’s hills, transforming public grief into a growing political storm.

Meghalaya, Garg’s birthplace, has amplified Assam’s call. On Sunday, Shillong’s Deva Kumar Das Memorial Hall hosted a heartfelt tribute of songs and kirtans, which evolved into a unified cry for truth and justice.

“I was asked to sing, so I sang just one verse... unprepared,” said Patricia Mukhim, veteran journalist from Meghalaya. “Dr. Bhaskar Borgohain also sang Mayabini, along with several young artists. There was a meeting of minds and hearts, everyone echoed the cry #JusticeForZubeen.”

Mukhim’s raw verse bridged the emotional distance between regions, turning tribute into determination.

The #JusticeForZubeenGarg movement, born out of widespread skepticism over the Assamese icon’s death, has now crossed state borders, demanding accountability from Guwahati’s elite to Delhi’s corridors of power.

Zubeen Garg, 52, the legendary voice behind 40,000 songs, who openly challenged mining barons and political heavyweights, drowned off a festival yacht on September 19 under suspicious circumstances.

Authorities have taken seven individuals into judicial custody, including festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, following public outrage that saw mobs clash with police and even shatter police vehicle windscreens.

Opposition leaders like Gaurav Gogoi have criticised the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for its slow progress and slammed the government’s lack of transparency.

Garg’s death, in this crucible of Northeast politics, has revealed deep-rooted issues of unaccountable power and silence.

From the kirtans of Shillong to the protest-filled streets of Guwahati, the call for justice for Zubeen has become more than mourning; it has become a movement. A manifesto.