Just hours after being sworn in for a second consecutive term as the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Zubeen Kshetra at Hatimura in Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati on Wednesday, May 20.
The visit marked Sarma’s first official stop after the swearing-in ceremony and was seen as a symbolic gesture honouring the legacy of late music icon Zubeen Garg, who continues to remain one of Assam’s most influential cultural figures.
During the visit, the Chief Minister paid floral tribute at the memorial site and spent time reviewing the progress of the ongoing construction work of “Zubeen Kshetra”, a permanent memorial and cultural complex being developed in memory of the singer.
Officials associated with the project briefed the Chief Minister about the current status of the development works, including the construction of the boundary wall, land protection measures and future infrastructure plans for the site. Sarma was informed that the initial phase of development has already begun and that preventive measures are being taken to protect the hill-side area from possible landslides and erosion during the monsoon season.
The Chief Minister stated that the memorial is not just a tribute site but is envisioned as a dedicated cultural centre that will preserve and showcase the artistic legacy of Zubeen Garg for future generations. He said the project would also serve as a platform to strengthen and promote Assamese language, music and cultural identity.
Addressing reporters during the visit, Sarma strongly criticised the Congress-led Opposition for what he described as attempts to politicise the singer’s death during the recently concluded Assembly elections.
“As promised, after the dust of the elections settled, I came here today purely to pay tribute. Zubeen was never a political issue for us; he is an emotion in every Assamese heart,” the Chief Minister said.
Sarma alleged that Opposition leaders repeatedly invoked the singer’s name during the election campaign despite having little connection with him during his lifetime.
“Many of those who are now visiting his shrine hardly knew him when he was alive. The people of Assam understood this, and that is why such politics was rejected in the elections,” he claimed.
Calling Zubeen Garg Assam’s “eternal heartthrob”, Sarma said, “Zubeen was, is and will always remain my favourite.”
The Congress and its allies had earlier criticised the BJP-led State government over the alleged delay in setting up a fast-track court related to the singer’s death case. During the election campaign, Opposition parties had promised justice within 100 days if voted to power and had also targeted the BJP over the absence of senior national leaders at Zubeen Kshetra following the singer’s demise.
Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 last year while reportedly swimming in the sea during a visit connected to the fourth edition of a cultural festival. He was 52.
The Chief Minister further stated that the major development work at the Samadhi Khetra will be carried out in a phased and structured manner after completion of the boundary wall around the site.