Dear Chitta,
How come we are so ignorant about the ground realities in Assam? And >if
we are convinced that there is some voice/desire for
freedom from a significant portion of people. What plan the believers have with them to go further on.
This is an appropriate question and has been asked numerous times in this net. However, we have never did get any straight answers. No, I don't believe there are concrete plans (at least long term). Most of whats happening seem to be knee-jerk reactions. Of course, we all know that there is a genuine voice (and desire) in Assam for independence, and there are are true revolutionaries. Today, I am not sure if they even exist. As for ground realities, one doesn't have to travel far from Guwahati to see the abject poverty and lack of development. I don't think we are ignorant of these realities. However, as these happen in such frequencies and is so commonplace, its a crying shame that we have just become so darn immune. --Ram da On 2/9/07, chittaranjan pathak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Mahanta da Thanks-Tangentialy you answered my ACE question. But I stand vindicated because you were not able to point me towards any place , community, district, region in particular from where you hear the muffled cry for independence. Instead you pointed towards ULFA-is that a revealation to us? All I wanted was to know from who else? I never for once judged whether this wish, call, desire for freedom is just or unjust. All I wanted to know from you was whether in 2007 you believe majority still wants independence. I know you realise that most do not-all have become infidels with their minds fogged by pan-Indianess-except ULFA. But still there is a wish/dormant belief in you that a referendum in Assam will prove all of us wrong. By bringing this referendum talk, Mahanta da -here you are cornering yourself even more. Tell me Mahanta da, whether following are any tell tell signs of an Yes to independence in Assam? 1) 95% of people in the recent poll rejected ULFA rejected Swadhin Asom concept 2) 30,000 people in Guwahati swayed to Bhupen Hazarika's "We are not sessionist" or something like that song at the National Games opening ceremony yesterday. Tell me Mahanta da-they are not people of Assam. Even if there was a semblance of conviction about our wish for independence-10%, 5% or 1% of people could have walked out. These were the same people who boycotted the 83 election and turnout was 10% and there was not any gun trotting AASU guys on street. But passion was there-because the majority felt the cause to be just. You know Mahanta da-I can really go on-do you want me to? What do you have to say on this? *** So let me take a stab at your re-phrased ACE question, even though to address it in isolation, without attempting to understand what 'independence' means is at best a silly endeavor. But I know why it bothers you to delve into the issues associated with 'independence'. It will merely help perpetuate the conflict that besets Assam. The choice is yours. You can run from the issues all you want, but you cannot hide. So I hope you as a well wisher of Assam, who has seen better, would want to apply the lessons learnt, to contribute towards betterment of Assam's lot instead of helping perpetuate what is killing it. NOT AT ALL Mahanta da-I was trying to know apart from ULFA who all were there to throw some light on this issue associated with "independence". I will have my field day with the questions I have. Wish I could get reply from those in ssamnet and beyond. Cause otherwise you will have bear the mantle-which I know you would. Regards Chitta Ram da It is not me and Mahanta da. Me and many others like would know what this is all about? How come we are so ignorant about the ground realities in Assam? And if we are convinced that there is some voice/desire for freedom from a significant portion of people. What plan the believers have with them to go further on. Because freedom is not the end, it is the beginning. Discussing those would be even more interesting. But we will get to the end of it-some day Regards Chittaranjan --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > C'da & Chitta, > > This is getting more interesting by the second. But > I will let Chitta fend > for himself (and has ably done so this far). > > Just wanted to touch on a small part, and then I > will butt out. > > >So why don't YOU raise your voice to put an end to > that debate, by >calling > for a free >and fair referendum after a period of > unfettered and >informed > public debate and >discussion? With the highly > revered >Election Commission > with its stellar record at >hand to guarantee the > >fairness of an outcome, > what seems to be the problem :-)? > > Calls for a referundum are a common ploy by > insurgents and those who think > they are fighting for some noble cause. What they > really want to do is to > put the onus on the country. Its like saying - > 'prove that I'am wrong'. Such > a ref. would be great for insurgents - it shows that > at last someone is > paying attention to them, and also if such a thing > is ever held, all they > have to do is brandish their weapons, kill some who > dare to stand up, and > the rest of the people will fall in line and vote > for the cause (or so they > hope). The last thing anyone will see is a 'free & > fair' ref. > > You see it in Kashmir, and you see it in Assam. > Now, why should a country try to prove anything to a > group of insurgents, > who possess only stolen money and guns (but no > principles). And further, why > should the country want to do that when > > (a) its against its constitution to give > independence to some portion just > because a group of wannabes want it > > ((b) No govt. in the state or Center has the right > to give in to such a ref. > as Assam is NOT their's to give away to insurgents. > All Assamese want is that the Govt. fulfill its > obligations to the state > (which it hasn't done effectively for the past so > many years). And this does > not tantamount to seeking independence. > > (c) And lastly, and more importantly, most people in > the state want to > remain a part of India. > > --Ram > > > > > > > > > On 2/9/07, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > Hi C: > > > > > > I changed the subject right back. "The Minority > Assamese" smacks of a > > persecution complex based on ethnic,linguistic or > cultural identity. For > > people like you or I, world-citizens, that would > be a rather unbecoming > > complaint. We ought to pursue more relevant and > concrete issues. > > > > > > No I don't think 'Answers for Chitta ' is at all > personal. We have had > > many such > > discourses in assamnet in the past. But if it > still bothers you, you are > > welcome to change it to something different. But > let us not get into such > > things as Assamese ethnic persecution complex. We, > the caste- Assamese, have > > little room to complain about that, if you know > what I mean. > > > > > > Allow me to clarify a few of your misconceptions, > before we get back to > > your questions. And I will continue to resort to > cutting and pasting the > > questions > > to post my response, so that the reader, if there > is any, can follow the > > context; in spite of your fears about it appearing > too argumentative. I have > > no problems with that, if YOU don't. > > > > > > > > > > > > >Bottom line is Mahanta da just because of I am > based > > > > >in Perth or you know my family or my immediate > background , > > > > > > > > > > *** I don't know anything about you or yours. I > don't need to. And I never > > would have asked the question, had you NOT > prefaced your questions with: > > > > > > But not all of them-not the ones I know > of.* As far as my > > relatives,* > > * friends, parents,brothers, numerous > cousins spread all* > > * over Assam are concerned (and if you > consider them "my own* > > * people"),freedom from India is not much > of an issue for them.* > > > > > > I don't take issue with your bringing your kin > into the equation. They are > > the people we know and understand most. However, > when you or I extend the > > lessons learnt from that to apply all over Assam, > or to the vast majority of > > Assam as you do, then we must examine the validity > of the premise. Whether > > what you and your kin represent is the NORM for > the rest of Assam? > > > > > > Do you still see my inquiry therefore an > illogical or irrelevant one, > > designed to obfuscate as you insinuate? > > > > > > Now, should you not feel trapped by this request, > you can do it , without > > divulging specific personal details, like: > > > > > > > > > > Grandparents from Lower Assam, rural, > subsistence farmers > > with adequate arable land ( or landless > sharecroppers, or scions > > of Zamindars, or school teacher in British > Assam -- so on and so > > forth) > > > > > > Father, one of six siblings, local high > school topper, MSc GU, > > IAS. Mother, daughter of High Ct clerk. Or > Father BSc, Xorobhwg > > College, > > Local High School teacher, mother daughter > of local Mahajan. > > Grew up in thatched hut, but now have > poka-ghor, owns a motor > > scooter. > > So on and so forth. > > > > > > I worked hard, studies at distant High > School with a Christian > > Saint's > > name, three stars at HS, IIT-Mumbai in > Comp. Science, now at > > Perth. > > Three Siblings--a doctor, a college > teacher and a businessman. > > Twenty two cousins ( by last count), > spanning from aspiring IAS to > > AEC Engineer to Wineshop Owner to > rice-farmers to a black-sheep in > > the > > ULFA. So on and so forth. > > > > > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games. http://games.yahoo.com/games/front
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
