Well-known Bollywood and Assamese musician Zubeen Garg passed away at 52 in Singapore following a scuba diving accident. The artist was in the city attending the North East India Festival, where he was scheduled to perform on September 20 and 21.
At the time of the dive, Zubeen is reported to have experienced breathing issues. He was pulled out of the water and treated with CPR at the spot but could not be revived. He was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where the physicians declared him dead at 5:14 pm local time (2:30 pm IST). An autopsy will be conducted, and efforts are being made to repatriate his body to Assam.
Zubeen Garg was admired by everyone for his Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi music. He became a national sensation with the hit song “Ya Ali” from the film Gangster, and others like “Dil Tu Hi Bataa” (Krrish 3). He was a director, an actor, and a cultural icon as well in Assam, famous for films like Kanchanjunga, Mission China, and Mon Jai.
Just days before his death, Zubeen had uploaded an Instagram clip inviting Singaporeans to the festival, calling it a celebration of culture from Northeast India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Zubeen’s passing “shocking” in a statement attributing to him a “rich contribution to music.” Rahul Gandhi called it a “terrible tragedy,” and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra put out that his “melodies will forever ring in our hearts.”.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced, “This was not an age to go,” calling him “Assam’s favourite rockstar.” Minister Ashok Singhal posted, “Assam has lost not just a voice, but a heartbeat.”
Zubeen Garg leaves a lasting legacy that inspires millions.
