Singer Zubeen Garg's body begins final journey home as thousands pour on streets for last glimpse
Guwahati (PTI): Popular Assam singer Zubeen Garg's body began the final journey home in Kahilipara from Guwahati airport on Sunday morning, with thousands of mourners pouring onto the streets to have a last glimpse of their favourite artiste.
The convoy crawled through a sea of humanity in an emotionally charged atmosphere with people from all walks of life and ages lining the streets and showering flowers on the ambulance carrying the mortal remains of the iconic singer.
It may take hours to cover the 25-km distance from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to his Kahilipara residence.
As the flight carrying his body landed from Delhi, the casket was first taken out from the luggage section of the aircraft and kept near the runway, where his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, offered floral tributes and placed an Assamese 'gamosa' on the coffin.
Garima broke down on seeing the casket and hugged it.
The coffin was later placed inside the flower-decked ambulance with people who had gathered near the runaway, including airport staffers and passengers who came in the same flight, breaking down in tears.
Garima accompanied his body in the ambulance, which moved out of the airport through the VIP exit.
The casket was covered with 'gamosa' and flowers, which included marigolds and jasmine.
Besides his wife, senior state government officials were at the airport to receive the body.
Thousands of fans were heard singing his songs and shouting 'Jai Zubeen da' as the convoy navigated slowly through the crowd outside the airport.
Wailing, 'Why Zubeen da, why did you have to leave us so soon', they were seen holding cut-outs of the singer and the traditional Assamese 'gamosa' with the words 'Z G (Zubeen Garg) Forever' woven in it.
Assam Director General of Police Harmeet Singh and Guwahati Police Commissioner Parthasarathi Mahanta were seen walking in front of the ambulance to clear the way for the vehicle.
The singer's favourite vehicle, an open jeep, which he often used to travel to venues where he performed, was also a part of the convoy with his huge portrait positioned in the front. His team of musicians was in the vehicle.
The fans were also seen holding their mobile phones aloft to capture their icon's last journey home.
People have reached Guwahati from across the state to pay their last respects to their favourite singer, who mesmerised them for over three decades with more than 38,000 songs sung in 40 languages and dialects.
People started gathering since Saturday night outside the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, where his body will be kept to allow the public to pay their last respects.
Garg's mortal remains will be kept at his Kahilipara residence for about one-and-a-half hours for his family members, including his 85-year-old ailing father, to pay their last respects.
People, including mediapersons, have been barred from entering the street leading to his residence as family members have requested some moments of their own to spend with the singer for one last time.
Later, his body will be taken to the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex for people to pay their homage from 9 am to 7 pm.
Details of the last rites are yet to be finalised. The Assam Cabinet will meet on Sunday evening to decide on the cremation venue.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the casket carrying the singer's body could not be accommodated in any chartered flight and was flown to Guwahati from Delhi on a regular flight.
The flight carrying Garg's body left New Delhi at 4.30 am and arrived at Guwahati at 7 am.
The body arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi around Saturday midnight from Singapore, where he died a day earlier while swimming in the sea without a life jacket.
Sarma received the singer's body at the airport and paid his tributes.
He was accompanied by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and senior Assam government officials posted in the national capital.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
