Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday mourned the untimely demise of singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore following a scuba diving accident.
In a post on X, Sarma called Garg “Assam’s favourite rockstar” and wrote: “Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons. I am in a loss of words to describe what Zubeen meant for Assam. He has gone too early, this was not an age to go.”
শব্দ আজি নিজেই নিজত আবদ্ধ
Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons. I am in a loss of words to describe what Zubeen meant for Assam. He has gone too early, this was not an age to go.
Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and his music spoke directly to…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 19, 2025
The Chief Minister said the cultural void left behind by the 52-year-old singer would never be filled. “Our future generations will remember him as a stalwart of Assam’s culture, and his works will inspire many more talented artists in the days and years to come,” he added.
Today is a tragic day#Zubeen pic.twitter.com/45WyBIw89Z
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 19, 2025
Recalling his personal connection with the singer, Sarma said: “Beyond his music, his connection with people and passion for helping them will always be remembered. I will greatly cherish all my interactions with him. That magical voice has forever gone silent. Tragic beyond words! I grieve with my fellow citizens on the passing away of Zubeen.”
According to reports, Garg was in Singapore for a scuba diving session when he fell into the sea. Though he was pulled out and rushed to an ICU, he did not survive. He was scheduled to perform later the same day at the North East Festival in Singapore.
Born Zubeen Borthakur, the singer adopted his gotra as his stage surname. Over a decades-long career, he sang in more than 40 languages and dialects, including Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi. Among his most popular songs was Ya Ali from the 2006 Bollywood film Gangster.