Justice for Zubeen: Knowing the truth

Anirban Choudhury

(eternalfamenew@gmail.com)

For a little over a month now, a strange kind of numbness has gripped all of Assam, which is unprecedented not only in the state but perhaps anywhere in the world. Ever since news broke out of the sudden demise of Zubeen Garg, one of the brightest stars of the region, in Singapore on 19 September, a pall of gloom descended on the people of the state, which is simply refusing to go away. People in many parts of the state are still unable to come to terms with the sad reality that the singer, music composer, lyricist and actor is no more, and hence are still in a state of shock and mourning. This was best manifested in the recent Durga Puja and Diwali celebrations — usually marked by pomp and splendour, but largely subdued this time.

Following the heart-breaking visuals of people hitting the streets en masse in a spontaneous outpouring of public grief immediately in the aftermath of the sudden demise of the music legend, mass memorials, tributes and rallies have since become the order of the day across the length and breadth of the state. And the site at Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati, where Zubeen’s mortal remains were consigned to flames, has transformed into a place for pilgrimage where hundreds, if not thousands, flock every day to offer prayers to their beloved icon. Interestingly, those visiting the cremation site – since renamed as Zubeen Samadhi Kshetra – do not belong to any particular group but hail from all walks of life and cut across communal, ethnic, linguistic and religious divides. Thus, often jolted by communal, ethnic, linguistic and religious tensions, the late singer-composer’s death has united the people of Assam and the region in grief.

Parallelly, along with the widespread mourning, a simmering public anger over the popular singer-composer’s sudden demise under mysterious circumstances also continues to singe the state. There’s a perceptible disquiet among many, especially the youth, who are now increasingly getting impatient over the lack of perceived progress in unearthing the circumstances leading to Zubeen’s death a month later. This is evident in the #JusticeForZubeenGarg campaign over social media that has been trending of late and crossed the two million mark recently. Perhaps anticipating such a development, the Government of Assam had constituted a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Special Director General of Police (SDGP-CID) Munna Prasad Gupta to investigate the matter. The formation of the SIT, which has since questioned many individuals and taken into custody seven persons, came in the backdrop of the filing of over 60 FIRs in police stations across the state, especially against event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and the late singer-composer’s manager, Siddharth Sharma. A two-member team of the SIT also flew to Singapore and held meetings with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) as part of the investigation. Simultaneously, the one-man judicial commission of Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court too has begun a probe.

However, a strong undercurrent of public anger seemingly persists, evident in the violence witnessed at Mushalpur in Baksa district, where a mob attacked the police as the suspects in Zubeen’s death case were being transferred to the District Jail, and the stone-pelting incident that occurred at Haflong a few days later. There seems to be a growing public opinion that Zubeen was indeed murdered, and the suspects were the murderers of their beloved icon, even when it is yet to be confirmed by any of the investigation teams whether the death was by accident, negligence or murder. While the SIT is yet to conclude its investigation, the SPF had in a statement a few days back clearly pointed out that it too had reached no conclusion yet, adding that the probe could take a few months more to conclude. The medical report released by the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), which conducted a second autopsy following public demand, also reportedly ruled out poisoning of Zubeen, contrary to the claim made by one of his musicians before the SIT.

Yet, a growing sense of restlessness and unease among a section of the society pertaining to the incident is clearly discernible. Many seem to have already made up their mind that it was clearly a case of murder and that the suspects in custody are guilty and hence should be punished, evident in the posts often made by young minds on social media platforms. Their belief seems to have been validated by the arrests made so far by the SIT, and they are now apparently only awaiting an affirmation of their stand from the findings of the SIT, Justice Soumitra Saikia Commission and SPF. The conduct of the media, especially the broadcast, along with the ruling dispensation and opposition alike, is helping fuel such a belief. The ruling and opposition parties, along with other influential bodies, are hitting the streets to demand justice, which is triggering the emotion. And some troublemakers have been only too happy adding fuel to the fire, evident from the confessional statements made by those arrested in connection with the Mushalpur violence that they had joined the melee for no reason.

Now, while yours truly holds no brief for the suspects, it ought to be understood that their capture could have serious socio-political and legal repercussions for Assam and the region in the days ahead, posing a huge challenge for the state’s political leadership. As public opinion grows against the suspects, it would be a nightmare for any government to envisage a situation in which the findings of the investigations run contrary to the popular perception andthe courts acquit the suspects. Such an outcome could trigger massive public unrest. Thus, it’s incumbent upon all parties concerned to conduct themselves more responsibly, while authorities should keep an eye on potential mischief-makers.

The bottom line is, justice for Zubeen is knowing the truth by getting to the bottom of the case, not in fixing culpability without knowing the facts or validating a popularly held belief, thereby creating a mass hysteria and lynch-mob mentality baying for the blood of the suspects. It’s about knowing the fact and then fixing responsibility—not the other way round just to douse public anger. It can’t be an emotional outcry in the wilderness. All this could derail the process of justice. The road to justice isn’t easy but long and arduous. And forbearance is the key.