GUWAHATI— Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote a touching tribute to the late musician Zubeen Garg, focusing on the close relationship he had with his pets. Sarma shared a video from the funeral showing Garg’s three dogs—Diya, Rambo, and Maya—being brought close to their master’s body as he was transported on his last trip on Tuesday.
Sarma added in his article, “People often say that dogs are a man’s best friend. If dogs love you, you are a great man. For Iko, Diya, Rambo, and Maya, Zubeen was their family. Today, as they said goodbye for the last time, they must have felt the same way we do now: heartbroken.”
The chief minister then posted another video of himself paying tribute to the musician at the Sarusajai stadium, where hundreds of thousands of fans had waited in line for hours over two days to pay their condolences. Sarma said, “The last two days showed how much people love him.” There will never be another Zubeen.
A Second Autopsy and Last Rites
Zubeen Garg, 52, died in Singapore on September 19, where he was supposed to play at the North East Festival. The official death certificate from Singapore said that he died by drowning. But local officials and several of his followers asked for a second autopsy to be sure there was no foul play.
On Tuesday morning, doctors at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) did a second autopsy, which is not something that happens very often. Specialists from AIIMS-Guwahati were also there. CM Sarma said he didn’t personally agree with the idea of a second post-mortem, but the state government consented to it when several groups of people asked for it. He also said that he thought the report “can’t be better than Singapore than Guwahati.”
Garg’s funeral was held with full state honors at Kamarkuchi, which is on the outskirts of Guwahati. As he made his final journey, a huge procession followed his body, with thousands of followers lined the streets to say goodbye.