Lives of singer siblinbgs Zubeen and Jongki cut short by accidents

Guwahati, Sep 19 (PTI) Music and accident, it appears, bind the family of popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore on Friday, leaving behind his ailing father, a devastated wife and a lonely sibling.

It was 23 years ago that the family had lost one of its daughters, Jongki, on a cold January winter, when her vehicle met with an accident while going to perform at a function.

An actor-singer, Jongki had already acquired a name for herself in the cultural sphere when she made her tragic end at the age of 18 years.

The death of his sister had greatly impacted Zubeen, who would often mention her during his stage performances.

The family lost their only son to another accident in far-off Singapore on Friday when Zubeen breathed his last following an accident at sea.

Palme Borthakur, who teaches Geography at a private university in Guwahati, is now the only surviving child out of three children of Mohini Mohan Borthakur and the late Ily Borthakur now.

“It is a moment of extreme sorrow for us, and it is hard to believe. We can hardly do anything now except be each other’s strength,” Zubeen’s uncle Manoj Kumar Borthakur told PTI over phone from Dibrugarh as he prepared to leave for Guwahati to be with his elder brother and the deceased singer’s father.

“Dada (Zubeen’s father) is in their Kahilipara flat. I spoke to Palme, and she said that someone needs to be with their father now, and so we are leaving,” he added.

Manoj lives in Sivasagar but was in Dibrugarh to visit his in-laws.

“Dada had been staying with Zubeen for the last two years and was recovering a little. I don’t know how he will take this shock,” he said.

A former bureaucrat, who is also an acclaimed poet and author, Zubeen’s father had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for some years.

He had lost his wife, a homemaker-singer, several years ago.

Manoj said that he is yet to speak with Garima, Zubeen’s wife, who is a renowned fashion designer.

The couple, who have been childless, had married in 2002 and she was in Guwahati when the accident happened.

“This is hardly the time to speak to her,” he added in a voice overcome with emotion.

Garg, who was in Singapore to attend the North East Festival, had gone on a yacht trip with members of the local Assamese community when an accident occurred, which claimed his life, the fest organisers said.

The three-day festival, which was scheduled to begin on September 19, was cancelled following the tragedy. PTI SSG SSG NN