Public mourning of Zubeen Garg as a political statement in India’s Assam
Abstract
The death of Assamese singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg transformed private loss into a collective political performance that redefined Assam’s public sphere. His funeral became a rare moment of unity across ethnic, linguistic and ideological divides, revealing how emotion can act as a civic language of democracy. Drawing on the lens of political emotions and affective citizenship, this commentary argues that public mourning in Assam functioned as an emotional referendum on state legitimacy and cultural belonging. It shows how collective grief was not merely an expression of loss but a negotiation over power, identity and justice.
Fields of Study & Subjects
South Asian Cinema and Culture
South Asian Studies and Conflicts
Death
Funerary Practices
and Mourning
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Contemporary South Asia
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 682–687
- Publication date
- 28 January 2026
- Language
- EN