Dear Jugal,
I think both the B'deshi influx and the Hindi onslaught are problems for Assamese.
The B'deshi influx, just by sheer numbers can tip the scales and make Assamese a small minority. It really doesn't matter if the illegals are Hindus or Muslims. The facts are they are illegal, speak a different tongue, and have a totally different cultural/ethinic background. That would make these illegals a big problem for Assam's future.
Now, the Hindi onslaught. This onslaught is not so much a problems in numbers (like B'deshis). It is more of a problem in our own attitudes in prefering Hindi to Assamese in Assam. You cited several examples of the youth who are trying to speak Hindi, sing Hindi etc.
IMHO, all this is because our youth realize that they may actually have to go to some other state for employment, treatment, or education. That is precisely the reason what drives people to give more importance to Hindi. Suppose we ban Hindi channels from TV in Assam - the protests are NOT going to come from the Hindi-wallas, but from the Assamese themselves.
BTW: - it is strange - if one happens to go to places in the Hindi belt (UP, Madhya Pradesh etc) you will immediately notice the craze for learning and speaking English. If you can speak good English, you can immediately make a good living in these parts. Why, because they too realize, that Hindi alone won't do, and to get a good job in other states, knowing English will make the difference.
But, I agree in essence, that Assamese people should pay more attention to Assamese language and culture. Unless there is support from Assamese themselves, there is good chance of your predictions coming true.
--Ram da
On 1/10/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Due to huge influx of Hindi-speaking people, due to tens of 24/7 Hindi
TV channels, radio stations, slowly Assam is being Hindi-ized. Is that
not also slow disappearance of Assamese? Why is there not a 24/7 TV
channel in Assamese yet? Why NE-TV, which is the only cable channel
from Assam goes around the streets of Guwahati with Assamese hosts
interviewing Assamese people on the streets of Guwahati in Hindi? It
shows where things are going. If Hindi's expansion is not controlled,
it will spell the deathknell for Assamese. Why are new FM channels in
Guwahati mostly exclusively in Hindi? These are signs of how things are
going, how thing are going to happen in the future.
Himen da is concerned only about religion! Assamese is not a religion,
it's a language!
Bangladeshis came in huge numbers to Assam till the late 70s, possibly
the 80s. Most of the so-called Bangladeshis came in Sadulla's time,
about a hundred years ago. The kids of these immigrants are going to
Assamese medium schools, learning Assamese, calling Assamese their
mother tongue. The problem with such people is that they have too many
children; the way to stop is to spread education among the women in
these communities.
However, the trend in the 90s, 00s is that Hindi is slowly taking over.
It's not that Bengali taking over Assamese electronic media, it's Hindi
taking over the electronic space of Assam completely. By electronic
space I mean cable TV and other emerging media. Those who have
foresight will see that such electronic media will inundate Assam in
the next 10-15-20-50 years. Instead of singing Hindi songs in Bihu
gatherings, Assamese children are/wil be dancing to Hindi movie tunes!
It will become fashionable for Assamese childeren, growing up in Assam
now, to be able to read and write Hindi and English, and not Assamese.
They will read Hindi and English newspapers and not Assamese. They will
get their news reports from Hindi and English newscasts and not
Assamese. They will start talking to each other in Hindi and English
and not Assamese. (I don't mind the English part that much, but I mind
the Hindi part. English will never replace Assamese or a local
vernacular, but Hindi has the potential to do tha!)
So, as I said I hope Himen da realizes Assamese is a language and not a
religion. My understanding of the situation is that the so-called
Bangladeshi immigrants and their progeny pose a threat to the dominance
of Hindu religion in Assam, but they don't pose a threat to Assamese
language as much as India and Assam's rapid Hindi-ization do. Because
people like Himenda are Hindu-religion sentimentalists, they see the
threat to Hindu relgion's dominance and say it's threat to the Assamese
language. I see it only partially that way. I see bigger threat to the
dominance of the Assamese language which makes us call ourselves
Assamese, is from India, not from Bangladesh.
Strictly from a languge point of view, due to our geographic location
Assamese speakers have to be wary of two languages: Bengali and Hindi,
both with huge populations. From the 1800s to about the 1950s,
Assamese, I believe was threatened by Bengali dominance in Assam.
Independence from the British threw out the dominance of the British as
well as the Bengali (who came with the British) from Assam. From the
1960s to the 1990s, I believe, Assamese was gaining its dominance in
Assam. But, starting the 1990s and 2000s, due to the proliferation of
electronic media, Hindi is starting to gain an upper hand. Right now,
Assamese speakers should be more wary of Hindi speakers than Bengali
speakers, but should be watching out both groups. Since Assam is part
of India now, Hindi has become the royal vernacular like Bengali was
when the British ruled India from Calcutta till the early 1900s. Hindi
is the royal language now, and Assamese is becoming the step-language
in Assam, being slowly replaced from public and electronic spheres by
Hindi. We must watch out for this Hindi-ization and thwart it and
prosper.
Jugal
-----Original Message-----
From: Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Himendra Thakur < [EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: J Kalita <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; assam@assamnet.org
Sent: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 14:24:44 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Re: [Assam] Secession from India will be death for the Assamese
Dear Hitendra uncle,
Yes. We are the same neighbors of Upasana.
Although I support the idea of plesbicite in Assam to decide its fate,
I am against secession from India and if ever there is a plesbicite, I
will vote against secession. Infact I believe majority of people in
Assam will vote against secession. But I believe the maturity of a
nation lies in "voluntary union" as opposed "forced union" and thats
why I support the concept of instrument of secession in the
constitution.
A nation is just a notion until and unless all the constituents are
united voluntarily.
Best wishes
Utpal
Himendra Thakur < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dear Malabika and Utpal,
Did you read the history of American Civil War? The American Civil War
is one of the most momentous and controversial periods in American
history. This bitter war was fought to stop secession of the southern
states.
The Southern states were just not allowed to secede. Secession was
just out-of-question. No wonder today America is the strongest country
in the world.
After fighting two world wars, European countries have decided to
unite ... step by step ... They are now on the path of economic
recovery. Instead of internecine (mutually destructive) wars, they have
developed Unity. Instead of secession, they have embraced affiliation.
Some people do not want to read history. They say "History is Bunk"
... I emphasize that we must learn from history.
I completely agree with you that the Injustice that Assam has gone
through must be corrected. The injustice to Assam was committed by a
group of sightless people ... including some Assamese leaders. They can
be controlled and eliminated. You do not have to secede from India to
achieve that. You do not burn the house to kill rats ... you use a
rat-trap. Intelligence and skill are required to make a good rat-trap.
Due to the huge population of Bangladeshi infiltrators in Assam,
secession from India will be death for the Assamese ... the
international border between Bangladesh and Assam will melt into thin
air and the plight of the Assamese will be the same as the plight of
the Chakma tribe.
Please consider if you will like to take that risk.
With the best wishes,
Himendra
----- Original Message -----
From: Malabika Brahma
To: Malabika Brahma ; Ram Sarangapani
Cc: assam@assamnet.org
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 7:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] What prevents India from holding a plesbicite
What I typed
>> A nation can be mature only as much as its population will allow
it. Don't you think?
The nation can also me only as much mature as the framework will allow
it.
What I meant was
The nation can also be only as much mature as the framework will
allow it.
Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:
Ram da,
>>That would be the easy part (thinking about it) - but the tougher
part would to hold >>one at all. Whether its Kashmir or Assam, it is
next to impossible to hold one.
But peace itself has been elusive and almost impossible to achive in
Kashmir and Assam for last 27 years, isn't it?
I think more than "impossible", it is the question of gathering the
required courage.
>> A nation can be mature only as much as its population will allow
it. Don't you think?
The nation can also me only as much mature as the framework will allow
it.
Ram Sarangapani < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi there Utpal,
No, I don't think I am right all the time -and am sure others think
likewise.
>There is easy way to find out. Hold a plesbicite under a free
neutral environment and avoid all >bloodshed.
That would be the easy part (thinking about it) - but the tougher part
would to hold one at all. Whether its Kashmir or Assam, it is next to
impossible to hold one.
Why do I say this: Whichever side looses, they are going to claim
there was widespread intimidation etc, etc. Yes, one could say - get
those international observers (Jimmy Carter) to observe. But that is
very unlikely. India will never submit to that (claiming sovereignty
issues).
Add to the equation, that many feel that Assam is filled up with
illegal Bangladeshis (and maybe even ISI agents). The question that
comes to mind is, if thats the situation (like Pakistanis in Kashmir),
why would we ever want to go for a plebicite of a population that would
want to merge with B'desh or Pakistan?
About a plebicite being bloodless - I seriously doubt if that will be
be the turn of events.
>I hope someday the nation called India will be matured enough to
incorporate the "instrument of >seccession" in the constitution.
A nation can be mature only as much as its population will allow it.
Don't you think?
--Ram da
On 1/9/06, Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Chandan da thinks he is right. So does Rajen da or Ram da or Mike da or
my self. May be we all are right or may be not. It does not matter what
I or you feel (the elites of Assam) , what really matters is what the
people of Assam feel. May be most of the people in Assam want
seperation from India or may be they don't.
There is easy way to find out. Hold a plesbicite under a free neutral
environment and avoid all bloodshed.
But somehow I think the present form of GOI does not have the moral
courage to face the free and fair ballot that would decide the fate of
Assam or NE for that matter. Also the question is whether
pro-independence groups of NE have the moral courage face the same.
I hope someday the nation called India will be matured enough to
incorporate the "instrument of seccession" in the constitution.
Utpal Brahma
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