AASU President urges govt to withdraw SOP restricting visiting hours at Zubeen Kshetra

Guwahati, October 24: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has urged the Assam government to withdraw the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) restricting visiting hours at Zubeen Kshetra, the cremation site of late singer Zubeen Garg at Hatimura, Kamarkuchi, describing the move as “unnecessary and insensitive.”

In a statement shared on micro blogging site, AASU President Utpal Sarma said the order, which limits public entry to the memorial between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., undermines the emotional connection people share with the late artist. “Withdrawing the SOP restricting visiting hours at the Zubeen Garg memorial is essential — it is unnecessary and insensitive,” Sarma wrote.

The government order, issued by Sumit Sattawan, IAS, District Magistrate of Kamrup (Metropolitan) on October 23, also prohibits entry of intoxicated persons and bans the sale or consumption of alcohol in and around the cremation site. The order, signed to preserve the sanctity of the memorial, followed a Cabinet directive led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier this week.

Reacting sharply, Sarma said that while maintaining order at the site is important, limiting public access to fixed hours fails to recognise the depth of collective mourning. “Zubeen Garg’s memorial is not just a public place — it is an emotional space for millions. Thousands of admirers, from children to elderly fans and differently-abled individuals, visit the site daily to pay tribute. Imposing time limits on them is both insensitive and unnecessary,” he said.

The AASU President suggested that the government focus on better management instead of restrictions. “Deploy adequate security personnel, appoint dedicated caretakers, and install Breathalyser checkpoints if needed to prevent alcohol use — but do not restrict access to the memorial,” he urged.

He also criticised the rationale behind the time restrictions, using a vivid metaphor:

“Banning entry after 10 p.m. in the name of maintaining discipline is like shaving one’s head out of fear of lice — an unnecessary overreaction.”

Sarma further stated that public gatherings at Zubeen Kshetra are peaceful and spontaneous acts of remembrance, not disorderly assemblies. “If a few people act irresponsibly, the government should address those cases individually. Punishing millions of genuine admirers with restrictive rules is unfair,” he said.

He dismissed comparisons between the memorial and other public parks or heritage sites with fixed visiting hours, asserting that Zubeen Garg’s resting place holds a unique cultural and emotional value. “Assam should set an example for the country by showing that a memorial can remain open 24 hours a day and still be managed efficiently and peacefully,” he said, adding that short closures for cleaning or maintenance would be sufficient.

Concluding his statement, Sarma likened the public grief over Zubeen Garg’s death to a natural force that cannot be contained. “The grief and love for Zubeen Garg have swelled like a raging Brahmaputra. If one tries to build unnecessary dams to contain it, only a flood of destruction will follow,” he wrote.