I missed out addressing another important point here.
I find it quite amazing that otherwise bright
individuals would wave the flag of democratic
values all over, only to run for the tall-grass
to hide from the idea of a plebiscite to prove
what they assert : That there is no support for
sovereignty among the people of Assam.
Are they credible?
You tell us.
At 9:22 PM -0700 6/28/07, chittaranjan pathak wrote:
I remember seeing a cartoon in Prantik, may be
some twenty five years back (during Assam
agitation) on Kaziranga. It was something like
this. There was a barricaded area and a sign
board saying Kaziranga National Park for
protecting last of the Assamese people. In side
the barricade there were no rhinos but there was
an Assamese family-the gamusa wearing kaami haar
uluwa male member was doing some baah bettor
kaam. And the whole barricaded area was
surrounded by numerous people wearing lungi and
sporting beard looking curiously at the exhibits.
Mahanta da something on what you said
India not entertaining the idea of plebiscite-I
think it is not the result of plebiscite,
Mahanta da, but the PREMISE. Even a child can
understand it. Tell me if there a historical
basis for asking for a plebiscite when Assamese
whole heartedly supported becoming part of India
in 1947. Another option was Pakistan or an
independent country like Bhutan. But did any of
the Assamese leaders mention an independent
Assam at that time? Was there a murmur of
protest like that in Hyderabad or Junagarh or
Kashmir due to merger with India? Historically I
think states like Goa, Sikkim or princely states
of Manipur or Tripura or Cooch Behar district
can lay claim to a plebiscite. But not Assam, as
it was part of British India for more than 100
years and chose to become part of independent
India just like Bengal, Bihar, Orissa. If you
would still like to find a historical
perspective (harping on this fallacy that Assam
was never part of India), should it be ULFA
asking for a plebiscite on this 78000 sq of land
mass or should it be the descendants of Ahum
roja for those few upper Assam districts,
Jamidars of Bijni, Gauripur for undivided
Goalpara, descendents of Kachari king for NC
hills, descendents of Chutiya kings ousted by
Ahums, present and still living Tiwa roja for
western Naogaon and parts of Karbi Anglong?
Believe me the mode Assam is in today-that of
reinventing its diverse ethnicity and past-all
these descendents will appear from nowhere. I am
not a student of history. Correct me if anywhere
I have gone wrong.
But Mahanta da if you think plebiscite is needed
because there is a DISPUTE and the party asking
for plebiscite has promised that it will abide
by the rules, then tell me Mahanta da, should
GOI hold plebiscite in Maharashtra also in 2008
just because ONE single person is asking for it
and he happens to have Indian President Pratibha
Patils grandson as hostage.
To make things simple for you-
First-please educate us if there is any
historical basis to this demand for plebiscite?
Second-if a plebiscite is needed because ULFA is
asking for it, should India not give this luxury
of options to all the downtrodden and more so to
states like Mizoram, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, and
all the 540+erstwhile princely states?
Third-For Assam should it be single choice
(India vs. Independent Assam) or multiple choice
questions (India vs Independent
Assam/Dimaraji/Bodoland/and numerous other lands
which will spring up during the plebiscite like
those numerous political parties which surface
during elections). I hope you can give a answer
to this third question to prove that you have
done your homework on this plebiscite issue.
Regards
Chittaranjan Pathak
Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47093/*http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222>Comedy
with an Edge to see what's on, when.
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
assam@assamnet.org
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
