Assamese singer refuses to stick to non-Hindi songs on Bihu stage

You shouldn’t have called me if you wanted me not to sing Hindi songs. I have sung over 16,000 songs in the past 25 years, I don’t care about your restrictions

Popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg’s refusal to stick to an agreement to not sing Hindi songs on stage during a performance organised to celebrate Rongali Bihu — Assam’s biggest festival — has divided the state.

The festival marks the beginning of the Assamese new year and stage functions are organized all over where songs and dances of the state’s various tribes and communities are showcased.

On Friday night, Zubeen, who enjoys cult status in Assam, refused to stick to a diktat by organisers of a Bihu function in Guwahati who wanted him not to sing Hindi songs.

“You shouldn’t have called me if you wanted me not to sing Hindi songs. I have sung over 16,000 songs in the past 25 years, I don’t care about your restrictions,” he said before leaving.

The organisers of Noonmati Bihu committee state they had an agreement with the singer.

By Saturday morning, social media was abuzz with news of the issue with hundreds of Assamese divided on whether Zubeen did the right thing or should he have refrained from singing Hindi songs during Assam’s biggest festival.

“It was an insult to Zubeen that he wasn’t allowed to sing his own song. The way the organizers stopped him midway was bad. I stand with Zubeen,” popular Assamese actor Jatin Bora told journalists.

“Bihu is our identity. It shouldn’t be made into an industry. Ours is just an appeal to keep the festival stick to tradition,” Ranjan Bora, working president of All Assam Bihu Sanmilani Samannayrakshi Samiti (AABSSS) had told HT.