How Zubeen Garg Redefined Power and Leadership in Modern Assam

Normally, power is associated with politics, economic heft, and muscles, including guns. But there are other powers too that are often sidelined, considered unimportant, or forgotten. Zubeen Garg's life and times underscore that. This exceptional man proved that one can bring joy and touch the lives of people around us without what we have been made to believe is the real deal. Zubeen was focused on his music and, through his talent, he was with the hapless, the voiceless, and the powerless, and generously helped them. We have seen the grief that engulfed Assam and the entire globe at his demise. Indeed, very rarely has one single human being made such an impression and impact on so large a community of human beings.

There have been and still are numerous musicians around the world who are famous and popular, but it is doubtful if all of them have been or are as impactful as Zubeen Garg. From a simple background, reaching the heights he did, Zubeen certainly is now a shining star that will always glow for his countless admirers, particularly for those in whose lives he made a difference. The point here is that people can be extremely brilliant and talented, but ultimately what matters is the goodness of the heart. Zubeen’s life proved the abundant goodness he carried and nurtured in his heart, and the grief of multitudes expressed in his death endorsed that.

True, genuine, and good power is intrinsic to leadership. In a very different way, Zubeen proved his leadership qualities and wore his leadership by shouldering responsibilities often overlooked in our society today, which is so engrossed by the showy and the superficial. What gets done these days without photo-ops, press conferences, and social media blitzkriegs? These days, a lot of people do 'charity' or are into 'social activism,' not out of the goodness of their heart, but because it is crucial for their portfolio and/or mandated by social responsibility requirements.

True, we live in a vastly different world today, but if you think about it, where is the time or even the thought to take photographs or get the media to cover the actual stretching out of a helping hand? When something needs to be done, it is done without a thought or care for publicity. And really, the world doesn’t need to know everything a person does. I didn’t know anything about Zubeen Garg except that he was a musician. It was only after his demise that one learned of his multi-dimensional personality as a genuinely good human being, who took his humanity seriously and lived by his humanity.

People, especially youngsters, adore people in show-biz, sports, even politics, and consider them to be some kind of demigods. No doubt such personalities earn humongous amounts of money and wield enormous power and influence on major industries, but what matters is not their social, economic, and political power, or even their colossal talents. What really matters is what kind of human beings they are—their character and convictions, their value-systems, and integrity. Clearly, Zubeen lived his life with unimpeachable integrity.

For sure, Zubeen Garg was a human being and susceptible to human shortcomings. Nevertheless, clearly he tried to rise above his human-ness and strive for uprightness. It’s the least any human being can strive for, but today, as we can see, uprightness is an ideal we have abandoned and no longer consider to be fruitful, being so enamoured with the profitable immediate. In the process, we lose our humanity and human-ness and reduce ourselves to automated cogs in a system we have devised to destroy us. What a shame we so mindlessly devalue ourselves and deprive ourselves of the enduring benefits of being human.

These days the word 'leaders' is grossly misrepresented and misunderstood. It is also a pity that we have come to believe that leaders are those with political, economic, and social influence and power, and so we genuflect before people leading the political and economic race and like to bask in their glory—and actually believe that our fates would change if we align or associate with them. But such powers are ephemeral and chimeras because time has numerous tricks up its sleeves that are beyond our comprehension. For instance, consider the invincible civilizations, empires, kingdoms, and historical personalities that came and went, and so also powerful economic czars that few remember now.

Like all the greats of the past, we too will become history. What matters is how much we have touched the lives of those who need us, what change have we effected, even if in a small community, and what kind of history will be written about us. To be remembered as great would be great, but even to be remembered as a good human being is adequate. Zubeen, I believe, will be remembered as both a great and good human being.

Now, how will Assam particularly pay homage to Zubeen’s life and times and his memory? His life brought immense joy to everyone, and his death united a State so divided by politics, race, religion, and the like. Will Assam continue this unprecedented unity as homage to Zubeen, or will this State allow itself to return to its divided existence brought on by king-sized egos, vested interests, bigotry, and parochialism? Zubeen had a different take on human existence and survival and did not validate caste, class, race, etc., thus further underscoring his unique beliefs and leadership in independent thinking.

Will Assam take a long and hard look at what he stood for and what he believed in, or will this State once again revert to having its heart and mind hijacked and imprisoned by beliefs and thoughts that are actually quite alien to its intrinsic nature? Real power and leadership is not about capturing the maximum number of votes and seats of powerful offices or acquiring untold wealth, fame, and influence—neither are they dependent on higher powerful forces or dubious gains of half-truths, post-truths, creating divisions, and distorting the past and present or painting the future with unrealistic colours. Real power and leadership emanate and are sustained by character, convictions, and integrity. In Zubeen’s memory, what will Assam opt for?