Guwahati’s cultural heartbeat skipped several beats with the loss of Zubeen Garg, and now Assam Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi is leading the charge to honor him with the Bharat Ratna. In a poignant letter addressed to PM Narendra Modi on Friday, the Congress leader from Jorhat passionately advocated for the nation’s top civilian award to be bestowed posthumously on the beloved singer-composer.
Zubeen Garg wasn’t just a musician; he was the soul of Northeast India’s music scene, masterfully fusing traditional Assamese rhythms with global appeal. His untimely death abroad during a government cultural program left an indelible scar, prompting widespread sorrow that Gogoi eloquently captured: a gaping hole in the region’s artistic fabric.
Gogoi, who has championed Garg’s cause relentlessly, brought the matter to the floor of Parliament on December 3, 2025, urging the highest honor. The very next day, he followed up with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, raising serious questions about the incident’s handling and pressing for transparency.
The letter to the Prime Minister dives deep into Garg’s groundbreaking contributions—bridging local folklore with contemporary beats, introducing Assamese culture to wider Indian and international crowds. This elevation helped cement the Northeast’s place in the national cultural narrative. Public response has been thunderous, with tributes flooding from every corner of society in Assam and beyond, all echoing the sentiment for national-level recognition.
Gogoi argues that the Bharat Ratna is the only fitting tribute to a man whose music became an eternal thread in India’s multicultural weave. As discussions gain momentum, this plea highlights the power of art in shaping national identity and the urgency to honor legends while their echoes still reverberate.