Love & loss echo through 1st Rongali Bihu sans Zubeen

Guwahati: For the first time in 34 years, Assam celebrated a cultural evening on Rongali Bihu without one of its most favourite sons, Zubeen Garg, taking to the stage to enthral the audience.Remembering him on the momentous occasion, Garima Saikia Garg, his wife, could no longer hold herself firm as she broke down in tears while stepping onto the stage at the historic Guwahati Bihu Sanmilani in the city’s Latashil area on Wednesday night.Significantly, Latashil holds a special place in the hearts of the people as it staged the first Rongali Bihu programme in 1952, after it was moved from the Latashil playground, where Bihu celebrations were held on the field since 1931.Overcome with emotions, a tear-eyed Garima, with a trembling voice, expressed her gratitude to the people of the state for keeping Zubeen’s memories alive through his songs and other artistic creations.“The way you (the people of Assam) have given love to Zubeen when he was alive and the way you have kept him alive and safe with love still… I feel Zubeen is always there and the people of Assam have already given justice to him,” she said.

Accompanied by Zubeen’s sister, Palme Borthakur, on the stage, Garima expressed hope that justice will prevail in her husband’s case.“The love and affection of the people for Zubeen have made me feel that I should not shed tears anymore and instead, I should fight for justice and ensure the guilty are punished,” Garima said.With many singers, including the likes of Manos Robin and Maitrayee Patar, choosing to stay away from performing on stage in memory of Zubeen, Bihu celebrations across the state wore a somber look.Meanwhile, the seven accused in Zubeen’s death case, including the organiser of the North East India festival in Singapore, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, co-singer Amritprabha Mahanta and manager Siddharth Sharma have been lodged in two separate jails since last September.Tributes poured in for Zubeen across every Bihu events in the state as Bihu committees remembered his contribution to the Assamese film and music industry.