Amid Violent Clashes in Baksa, Garima Saikia Garg Appeals for Calm After Zubeen Garg's Passing

A wave of violence and subsequent appeals for peace shook Assam after the untimely death of popular singer Zubeen Garg. The situation took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when clashes turned violent outside the Baksa District Jail, prompting an appeal for peace from the deceased artist's wife, Garima Saikia Garg.

The prompt cause for the protests was the shifting of five people accused in relation to Zubeen Garg's suspicious death to the Baksa District Jail. The accused—Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Sandeepan Garg, and two personal security officers, Nandeshwar Bora and Paresh Baishya—were shifted to the center after they were remanded to judicial custody. The development had local residents and the singer's fans in an uproar.

Numerous protesters assembled at the jail campus, calling for justice for Zubeen Garg. The protest was soon violent. Protesters shouted fervent slogans such as "Hand Siddharth over to us" and "Joi Zubeen Da! " The protest turned ugly with reports of stone-pelting, destruction of property, and burning. A police van was torched, and several others, including a satellite news van, were wrecked in the mayhem.

The police responded with tear gas, blank firing, and baton charges to disperse the unruly crowd.

The violence had dire consequences, with at least 21 individuals reported to have been injured. The injured comprised 10 police officers, 2 reporters—Nakul Talukdar and Raju Das—and other civilians. Two civilians in critical condition were sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), and some with gunshot injuries were transferred to AIIMS in Guwahati. All the injured are now under observation at hospitals.

With an eye to the growing crisis, the authorities in Baksa district adopted strict steps to reestablish law and order. Special police contingents and a Rapid Action Force (RAF) squad were also sent into the area. Reinforcements were also quickly brought in from adjacent districts such as Guwahati, Nalbari, Barpeta, and Darrang. To ward off further agitations, District Magistrate Gautam Das clamped prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS on Mushalpur town and the districts adjacent to the district jail. During this chaos, Garima Saikia Garg, Zubeen Garg's wife, issued a moving public plea for peace on Facebook on Thursday morning. Expressing herself in a heart-wrenching post, she agreed to the shared sorrow, writing, "I have not only lost my husband.". All Assamese homes have lost a son, a brother, a friend, or a relative." She sensitively identified the agony and questions plaguing the public but strongly called for restraint and solidarity. Emphasizing the necessity of cooperation and compassion, she called for violence to cease, praying for no more "news of further harm or disturbances." Her statement, which concluded with the hashtag #JusticeForZubeenGarg, was a strong call to solidarity during an era of great grief and outrage, reminding a community of its attempt to balance its sorrow with the call for justice.