|
Chandan:
This again shows our limitation of
the tilikai and litikai Assamese intellect.
First we confuse the Roman Script
to be exclusive to the English language.
Roman Script is used by all the
Romans languages (Latin, German, English, Spanish, Italian etc)
Also it is being adopted by many
other languages like Vietnamis, Bodo, Nagamese etc . The point is in all these
languages, the vowel and consonant sounds may be (and are)
different.
We Assamese (and Indians) cannot
think that Roman Script sound may be different than English.
Now when we write a name like
Oxom, we must realize we are not writing the word only for the
English speakers. We write it for all who are familiar with Assamese Romans
Script. When we adopt Roman
Script to write Assamese, there is a grammar (although unwritten at this time)
and people will understand that Assamese in Roman Script is a
Phonetic language and that UNLIKE INDIANS they
sound O = Only, A=FATHER, E=Edward, W=War etc. Also they will understand
that in Assamese X sounds like Greek or Russian
X. Now if we are allergic to the letter X where the word starts with X,
we can always adopt the Roman script CH like the Germans and
the Scottish do.
Now what is pathetic, by trying
change Assam to Asom, we are trying to abolish the British and
take the big brother INDIAN system. WHY? because we litikai Assamese are
ignorant of our own language. And that is coming from people like ex President
of Asom sahitya Sabha, Editor of renown Assamese megazine like
"Gariyoashi.'
What actually happened to the
'closing of the Assamese mind' was that since Yandabu Xondhi Assamese Hindus
were overwhelmed and mesmerised by their big brother Pan Indian culture which
was suddenly opened to them by the British. They were so much influenced by
Gandhi, nehru, Rabindra Nath,that they got confused whether to feel proud of
their heroic past with the Ahom rule. That is why we see novels like
"Kwnw Khed Nai" written ridiculing the 600 years of Ahom rule
wriotten by Assamese writer like Padma Barkotoy. It is the Ahoms who
established the Assamese language as a Court language. It is the Ahoms who
stopped the progress of Islam through land in Assam and Burma. Till before
the Ahoms it was Sanskrit which was being used in Assam. It is due to the
same overwhelming Pan Indian affect for which writers like Benudhar Sharma had
to name his Autobiography :Kongressor Kasioli Rodot", as if we
Assamese were much oblighed to serve Gandhi and Nehru, as if we Assamese were
much obliged to be incuded as a state within big brother India.
I don't want to
bark on the same subject any more. I hope people will relize and
stand up for Assamese language and culture proper. Anyhow I am sending my views
to some people in Assam including another ex Oxom Xahityo Xobha President to see
their reaction.
I think we are at stage to fight
our own brother:
Tej dim kintu Assam
nidiw.
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 3:29
PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Plea to change name
of State to 'Aso m'-AT
That was a good set of recommendations Rajen
I agree with most of it.
One of the difficulties our Oxomiya compatriots have in regard to the
choice of vowels 'a' or 'o' in case of Oxom for example, is that they got used
to the 'a' vowel serving both as an amar or omor ( immortal). I guess it has
something to do with how the British pronounce the 'a' vowel and handed it
down to desis. Here in the USA, we don't use 'a' for both 'e' or 'o' sounds--a
more logical way to pronounce I believe. For us it is more intuitive to use
the 'o' for Oxom, instead of 'a' as in 'axom' or 'asom'. Add to that the
POLITICAL problem certain kharkhowas have with the use of the 'x' letter to
transliterate or 'xo' sound.
But I agree, if it is changed, it should be to 'Oxom'.
cm
At 2:07 PM -0600 2/9/06, Rajen Barua wrote:
Letter to the Editor:
The
Assam Tribune:
Dear Sir,
I
am writing this letter in reference to a letter published in your paper by
the President of Asom Sahitya Sabha suggesting to change to name of Assam to
Asom. I completely oppose the suggestion. I am not opposed to change of
place names. But let us keep things in perspective. The only reason for
name change is to make sure that others 'pronounce' the name of a
place the way the natives pronounce. That is the only
reason.
Therefore the world has gone through a cycle of name change of
places specially where the strong headed British named the places as
their wish.
So
we reasonably changed
Peking to Beijing
Bombay to Mumbai
Dacca to Dhaka
Calcutta to Kolkata
Madras to Chennai
Ceylon to Srilanka
Gauhati to Guwahati
Cittagong to Sttagram
etc.
In
the same line we should do some more changes to the following names, if we
want to.
Sapekhati to Xapekhati or Chapekhati
Sibsagar to Xiboxagor or Chiboxagor
Sankardev to Xongkordeb
Sharma to Xorma or Chorma
Saikia to Xoikia or Choikia
Parishad to Porixod
because that is how we prononce these words.
Or
we don't have to change.
etc.
Now
when it comes to place names like Assam, Bengal, Singapore or
India we should think very deeply and see what we are trying to
do.
The
words Assam, Bengal, Singapore and India etc have their own
historical background of development.
In
fact the word Oxom and Assam was developed, we may say, in
parallel. Although the word Oxom was used since 13th century,
during the British days the words Oxom and Axam both were used
interchangeably. At the same time word Assam was developed separately
by the British from the word Axam.
Now
during these almost two hundred years, the word Assam become like
a international 'brand name' with Assam Tea Company, Assam Company,
Assam Oil Company, ART Company, etc so much so that today Assam has its own
recognition simply from its name Assam.
Now
if we want to change the name Assam, first, we must realize that we are
going to loose that international recognition, an issue which we
Assamese so much complain of.
Second even inspite of that we want to change the names the way we
pounce then let us change to the right spelling
Let
us Change
Assam to Oxom.
India to Bharat
Bengal to Bangla
Singapore Singhapur
etc
Before Asom Sahitya Sabha suggests changing the name of
Assam to Asom, let us suggest that let Asom Sahitya Sabha change
its name to Oxom Xahiytya Xobha.
Otherwise it should not open its mouth in areas where definitely
showing its incompetence of leadership.
Assam has too many problem, nut let us not try to create new
ones.
Otherwise we will have to start s slogan
Tej dim kintu Assam nidiw.
Rajen Barua, Houston, USA
----- Original Message -----
From: Ram
Sarangapani
To: Rajen
Barua
Cc: ASSAMNET ;
Vikramjit Kakati
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Plea to change name of State to
'Asom'-AT
Barua,
Maybe, they don't like the 'X' factor. It looks now 'Sibsagar' has become 'Sivasagar'.
I personally (and usually) do not see the
need for name changes specially for cities and states.
One wonders if things were not working
right when the old names existed? For example, what has benefitted Kolkata
or Chennai or Mumbai or others after the name transformation? How has
Guwahati become different after the name change?
The bigger question is why has it taken so long
for the Assamese(or others for that matter) to realize that all this
time they were calling their state/city by a 'wrong name'. Why did this
all too important matter come up after all these years?
--Ram
On 2/9/06, Rajen Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
There is another
falacy in the request.
The word
Assam in an Englished name of the Assamese word
Oxom
Like the word
India is of Bharat.
Before making such
nonsense request Asom Sahitya Sabha should ponder why we are not try to
change the name of India to Bharat.
Asom Sahitya Sabha
should concentrate on better things than trying to get into something
outside its scope.
This is called
Nologa jengot loga
I say Hobo
Diok.
Rajen
Barua
----- Original Message -----
From: Ram
Sarangapani
To: ASSAMNET
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 10:37
AM
Subject: [Assam] Plea to change name of State to
'Asom'-AT
This is interesting. Why
'Asom' though? Why not Oxom or Axom?
In the do such changes make a difference?
And there would be expenses too. I would venture that once major
problems in Assam (Asom) have been dealt with, one can play around
with the name.
___________________
Plea to change name of
State to 'Asom'
By A Staff
Reporter
GUWAHATI, Feb 8 - Learned circles have called for
restoration of the original name of the State, 'Asom,' in place of the
existing 'Assam,' as they feel the former alone can truly represent
the unique culture, heritage and history of the State. The name of a
place is not just something that has a simple, insignificant
association with it. More often than not, it reflects the history,
culture and heritage of the land and the people inhabiting it. The
name is the key that holds the identity of the place and unveils its
past, often transcending history and going back to the days of myths
and legends. And Asom is no exception to this rule. That the roots of
the name Asom lie in ethnicity is all too evident.
Eminent
litterateur and former Sahitya Sabha president Chandra Prasad Saikia,
has been among the ardent votaries of Asom. In the editorial of the
literary magazine Gariyoshi's February issue, Saikia says that
continuing with the name Assam is against the ethos and spirit of
Assamese nationalism. "It is perfectly desirable that the name by
which a particular people identifies their State should also be the
name of that State for all purposes," he says. "The name Asom will
also be able to convey best the wishes, aspirations and sentiments of
the people at the national as well as international level," he
adds.
Saikia also opposes the spelling 'Asam' for the original
name, as it would be more or less similar to 'Assam.'
The
British had effected changes in the original names of many places of
the country. This was primarily to suit their convenience and without
giving any regard to local history and culture or to local sentiment.
However, after India's independence, many States restored the original
names - Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, etc.,
being a few of these. In Assam too, the British 'Gauhati' was changed
to Guwahati, 'Nowgong' to Nagaon and very recently 'Sibsagar' to
Sivasagar.
Saikia is also optimistic that the different ethnic
communities of the State will not oppose reinstating the name Asom.
"The word Assam in no way helps the growth of their language,
literature and culture. Although the word Assamese originates from
Asom, Asom - which stands for 'the unmatched' - has an exclusive
meaning," he says.
Urging the people to lend their voices to
the cause, Saikia says that as the first step, the State Government
should begin with using the word Asom in the place of Assam in all
official exercises. Next, it must mount pressure on the Centre to
circulate Asom at the all-India level. Moreover, it is time the
various organizations related to the State's cultural and educational
spheres put up a united and forceful stand on the
issue.
It may be mentioned that the State
Government had issued a circular for using the word Asom for all
official purposes but its implementation has not at all
materialized.
_______________________________________________
assam
mailing list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
_______________________________________________
assam
mailing
list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
|
