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Dr Arup Sarma
International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (IJLLC), Vol-6,Issue-3, May - June 2026, Pages 1-8, 10.22161/ijllc.6.3.1
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Article Info: Received: 16 Apr 2026, Received in revised form: 12 May 2026, Accepted: 16 May 2026, Available online: 20 May 2026
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Drawing on theoretical underpinnings of eco-criticism, the study is a critical reading of the ecologically informed songs of Zubeen Garg (a cultural icon of Assam, 1972-2025) to examine if the select songs, with their strong rootedness in Assam ( India's Northeast) are purely mimetic exercises or if they form a critique ecological concerns that shape them. Though his songs are devoid of artistic elitism, yet they are more than a melody. A number of songs in his discography are evocative of the inter-relationship of man , environment and his identity as an Assamese. Songs featured in the study are chosen because along with environmentalist cause, they constitute a critique of the status quo with a call for protection and preservation of our ecosystem and its justice. Apart from scripting the ecological concerns in the select songs/lyrics, sources from certain video clips, newspapers based on his interviews are also consulted for a comprehensive understanding on the way he becomes a metaphor of a collective psyche of the Assamese community for preservation and protection of its eco-system.
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