Jorhat Fun Run in Zubeen Da's Name Tarnishing His Legacy, Participants Allege

Zubeen Garg, the legend, has left for the heavens above. Since the tragic passing, a lot has happened. His perpetrators were identified, jailed and are facing trial; his fans and lovers are awaiting justice, and some unwanted instances of politicisation and misuse of his name have also surfaced.

And on Sunday, January 11, less than four months since Zubeen Da’s demise, another such unfortunate incident has come to light. This time, an organisation has been accused of using his name for a seemingly noble cause on the outside, but with malicious intentions.

Overland Northeast, a “community-focused non-profit organisation,” as their bio upon a quick Google search reads, has been accused of swindling funds and duping participants of a fun run organised in the name of Zubeen Garg, called ‘RUN FOR ZUBEEN DA’ with an added noble cause of spreading awareness on breast cancer.

The event was organised in Jorhat today, promising prize money worth over Rs 1 lakh, their poster highlights, along with several other merchandise. It saw participants coming not only from across Assam, but the entire Northeast, who were left frustrated.

One of them highlighted that all they received was a plastic water bottle, a coffee mug and some chocolate bars, ironic considering it was a fitness event.

Also Read: Zubeen Garg Trust Announced to Preserve Artiste’s Legacy, Promote Culture and Research

She said, “We have come all this way for chocolate bars and a coffee mug. I know many participants have travelled a long way to be here. Let alone the prize money, I heard only one or two participants received about Rs 2,000 in cash.”

Meanwhile, some trophies meant for the event ended up in the dumping grounds of the city. When one of the municipal workers found it with a photo of Zubeen Garg, lying in the piles of garbage, out of sheer love and devotion, he decided to pick it up and keep it with him.

The worker told Pratidin Time, “You can see this trophy. It has a photo of our beloved Zubeen Da, and it was lying in the garbage. You can clearly tell this was meant for the event as it has all the details engraved.”

“They could have given it to some of the children who participated to encourage them. Instead, it ended up here. I am going to take it home and keep it with me,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pratidin Time’s efforts to contact Overland Northeast over the phone were unsuccessful as they failed to respond. The larger question is, will the authorities take any action against those tarnishing Zubeen Garg’s name and legacy?

Also Read: Senior Advocate Ziaul Kamar Updates on Zubeen Garg Case Ahead of Jan 17 Hearing