Generation Zubeen: How Zubeen Garg's Legacy United Assam in Unprecedented Mourning

When Zubeen Garg's body arrived in Guwahati on September 21, the city came to a complete standstill.

The world has recently witnessed powerful images of young citizens in Nepal carrying national flags and anti-corruption banners, their chants resonating through the air, as Generation Z brought the country to its knees and ultimately overthrew the government.

Generation Z - those born between 1997 and 2012 - has been at the heart of similar revolutionary movements in Sri Lanka in 2022, Bangladesh in 2024, and the Philippines earlier this month.

When hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Guwahati to mourn Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg, another type of Gen Z emerged prominently. This time, it was 'Generation Zubeen' - a diverse age group united by their profound love for the melodies of Mr. Garg.

Mr. Garg died by drowning in Singapore on September 19. When his remains reached Guwahati on September 21, emotions ran high among 'Gen Zubeen,' with many breaking through barricades and moving toward Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, forcing police to resort to baton charges.

The city froze in mourning. Shops closed, services halted, and crowds filled the streets. Some people fainted from the afternoon heat. Police repeatedly appealed for calm and urged the public to maintain order. A vast sea of humanity waited to bid farewell to the musician who had deeply connected with an entire generation by blending heart, rebellion, and soul.

On September 23, he was cremated with full state honors as "Mayabini," a song he had requested to be played at his funeral, transformed into a youth anthem.

Throughout these three days, Generation Zubeen - fans devoted to his music since his rise to fame with the debut Assamese album "Anamika" in 1992 - packed the streets of Assam. Mr. Garg's unique fusion of rock-influenced numbers and traditional Assamese rhythms resonated with young people caught between tradition and modernity. His songs traveled from college canteens to neighborhood cassette stalls, from night buses to late-night hostel gatherings. During his remarkable three-decade career, Mr. Garg sang over 38,000 songs in 40 languages and dialects.

Hashtags like ZubeenGeneration, GenerationZubeen, and zubeenfanclub continued trending. "Now I finally understand why we're called Gen Z because we're truly the Generation of Zubeen," wrote one X user following his death.

Beyond his music, Mr. Garg made his mark through his willingness to challenge authority, defy diktats, express his opinions, and stand firmly by his convictions. He opposed traditional animal sacrifices at temples, supported protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and resisted ULFA's prohibitions against singing Hindi and Bengali songs during Bihu, Assam's most significant festival.

After delivering career-defining Hindi songs including "Ya Ali" from Gangster, "Dilruba" from Namastey London, and "Dil Tu Hi Bata" from Krrish 3, he eventually returned to Assam, citing the "attitude" he encountered in the city. "I will die here (in Assam) like a king," he told POP Pavelopedia in a January interview.

Between mourning his loss and demanding a fair investigation and accountability for his death, Generation Zubeen predominantly symbolized the singer's profound impact on Assam's cultural landscape. Assamese youth Hirak Jyoti Bora explained, "Generation Zubeen represents a cultural and musical phenomenon in Assam, where Zubeen Garg's legacy continues to inspire and influence new generations of music enthusiasts, artists, indigenous rights defenders, environmentalists, animal conservationists, human rights defenders, academicians and fans. This generation is characterized by their love for Assamese music, culture, and identity, which Zubeen Garg's work has significantly shaped. It reflects the deep connection between Zubeen Garg's way of life, his ethics, moral values, principles and the people of Assam."