Denial of Zubeen Garg tribute triggers Tezpur University protests, break preponed

Tezpur, Sept 23: As Assam bid farewell to its beloved cultural icon Zubeen Garg in a tearful state funeral on Tuesday, Tezpur University (TU) found itself at the centre of a student protest.

The unrest came as students criticised the administration for alleged “blatant insensitivity” during the three-day state mourning period.

Amid mounting pressure, the TU administration, on Tuesday, preponed the autumn recess from September 29 to September 24, a move students allege was intended to disperse protests rather than address their concerns.

The decision, meanwhile, has intensified the standoff between students and university authorities.

While tensions had been simmering since September 19, the flashpoint came on Monday evening when Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh reportedly refused permission for a condolence meeting over Garg’s death on campus.

When students sought permission for a tribute programme, the VC’s alleged remark, “Don’t make it funny”, coupled with the university’s decision to hold Tezpur University Students’ Council (TUSC) elections on September 20, triggered widespread protests.

Hundreds of students gherao-ed the administrative building till past midnight, raising slogans of “Long live Zubeen Garg” and “VC go back”.

“When the entire state was in tears, Tezpur University chose to look away. Students are sacrificing sleep and food not for personal gain, but to defend the cultural soul of Assam,” said one protesting student.

Students submitted a charter of demands, including a public apology from the VC, the setting up of a permanent martyr’s memorial, and recognition of Assamese cultural sentiments within the Central university.

The protest drew support from Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, who criticised the administration, saying, “How can the death of Assam’s cultural asset be funny?”

Saikia, on Monday, expressed regret that the university, “built on the foundation of the Assam Accord,” does not have a memorial for martyrs.

“At a time when the whole state was mourning, the university held student elections instead of a condolence meeting. And when students protested, the Vice-Chancellor dismissed their grief as something ‘funny’. This is not just insensitive; it is outrageous. The VC must apologise publicly,” he said.

Students’ union from Dibrugarh University and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (D.Y.F.I) have extended full support to the ongoing student protest also extended solidarity to TU students, warning, “If the authorities fail to act, we will join the protests.”