Opinion divided over Zubeen Garg controversy

GUWAHATI: Perception is split over singer Zubeen Garg's recent tirade after he was asked to refrain from singing Hindi songs at a Bihu programme at Noonmati on Friday.
Refusing to buckle under pressure of singing only in Assamese, the maverick singer stormed off the stage after his soiree was interrupted by members of the Noonmati Bihu Sanmilan committee when Garg began to sing a popular Hindi song after some Assamese numbers.
Interrupting a performance of "Dil Tu Hi Bata" from 'Krish 3', the organizing members argued that a Bihu stage doesn't allow any non-Assamese songs to be rendered. "For the past 25 years I have sung over 16,000 songs. You haven't. As an artiste, I have the right to sing in any language," the singer responded.
He immediately stormed off the stage and left for another venue. Arriving at West Guwahati Bihu Sanmilan to perform, he narrated what had happened at Noonmati, saying just wrapping the gamocha around the neck doesn't make one an Assamese.
Two days after Friday's incident some artistes have come forward in support of Zubeen.
"Bihu has nowadays become commercialized. It only revolves around money. What happened to Zubeen was not right. For an artiste there are no restrictions," said JP Das, a popular singer and musician.
"If he had an agreement not to sing Hindi songs, he should have respected it," noted author Ratna Ojha, however, told a local news channel.
The controversy surrounding singing of non-Assamese songs during Bihu is not new. In the recent past, there have been constant diktats from the outlawed Ulfa (I) asking artistes not to sing in languages other than Assamese.