When Emotion Becomes Evidence: How Zubeen Garg’s Case Spiralled into a Narrative War

Abstract

The sudden death of Assam’s cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, in Singapore on 19 September 2025, rapidly transformed public emotion into a contested narrative space. What began as collective mourning evolved into a volatile discourse shaped by speculation, digital mobilisation, political opportunism and institutional communication challenges. This article examines how emotionally charged narratives interacted with procedural constraints, reshaping governmental communication during the first week following the incident.

Using qualitative content analysis of official statements, media reporting, and publicly accessible social media activity, the commentary identifies a five-stage escalation: shock, suspicion, distrust, mobilisation, and institutional pressure. The Chief Minister’s initial position—emphasising Singapore’s investigative jurisdiction and evidence-based process—was soon confronted by narrative surges that demanded immediate action. Indicators of coordinated online messaging, including synchronised hashtags and repetitive narrative frames, suggest that certain actors sought to leverage public emotion to influence institutional behaviour.

The case highlights a contemporary governance challenge: in digitally mediated environments, perception often precedes fact, and narrative pressure can shape state communication even before evidence emerges. Effective crisis governance, therefore, requires anticipatory, transparent communication strategies that prevent information vacuums and limit the scope for narrative capture. Emotion must be acknowledged, but institutional processes must remain anchored in evidence and jurisdictional clarity.

Keywords

Zubeen Garg, Zubeen Garg’s Sudden Death, Conspiracy Theories, Assam’s Chief Minister, Singapore, Assam, India

Author Biography

Jayanta Biswa Sarma

Dr Jayanta B. Sarma is a practising medical doctor and consultant microbiologist whose primary training and professional identity lie firmly within clinical medicine and infection sciences rather than the social sciences. A medical graduate of Gauhati Medical College (MBBS, 1990), he went on to specialise in medical microbiology and infection, completing a master’s degree in Bacteriology and Virology/Molecular Microbiology at the University of Manchester and a later MSc in Genomics at Newcastle University, alongside doctoral work at Gauhati University. He has also undertaken advanced training in hospital infection control at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and in medical education and leadership at institutions such as Durham University and the University of Dundee.

Professionally, Dr Sarma has served for over two decades in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, including as Consultant Microbiologist at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and subsequently as Lead Consultant Microbiologist at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. His Google Scholar and ResearchGate profiles reflect an extensive body of peer-reviewed work in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, hospital infection control, diagnostic stewardship and health-system quality improvement. This background underpins his familiarity with scientific research methodology, critical appraisal and evidence-based practice, even though he does not claim formal training as a social scientist.

Alongside his clinical and academic roles, Dr Sarma maintains close and sustained engagement with Assam as a non-resident Indian living in England. He travels frequently to the state and has been centrally involved in health, education and community-building initiatives there. He is one of the founding figures and current Chairperson of the Assam Healthcare Cooperative Society Ltd. This member-owned social enterprise works to expand access to affordable healthcare through cooperative models, outreach camps and patient-support programmes. Under his leadership, the cooperative has supported non-communicable disease screening, health education activities, and the development of basic health system infrastructure in partnership with local stakeholders.

Dr Sarma is also active in wider intellectual and educational life in Assam. He has contributed as an honorary or visiting faculty member and invited speaker to institutions such as the Centre for the Environment at IIT Guwahati, Assam Don Bosco University and medical colleges in the state, where he has lectured on topics ranging from infection control and diagnostic reasoning to lifelong learning and the social responsibilities of professionals. In parallel, he writes regularly in the public domain as an essayist and columnist in Assamese and English, contributing commentaries on healthcare, public policy and socio-cultural questions to regional media outlets, including online platforms and newspapers. He also maintains an active presence on social media, especially Facebook, where he engages with a substantial following on issues relating to health systems, ethics, culture and public life in Assam.

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