1. I have not said that the insurgents are fools or otherwise. If someone said
that, it is his view. Why bring that view? This is unfair, sir.
2. The common people with average intelligence in Assam have not done or
been able to solve so many problems that plague them. That is evident. Why
should they do something if either those in 'legit governance'(your term) and
those trying to evict them have nothing to show for themselves? There is
nothing amiss. Everything adds up well. May be they are not citizens of America
and lack American efficiency.
3.The problem is that some people despite having above average intelligence
have not understood the facts as they are, and have been prodding the 'average'
people in stupor to join them on either side of the fence by brandishing
weapons and other violent means.
4. So you want the plebscite because your adopted country ( this is my
presumption, i am sorry if i am wrong, i hate offending people) with the UN
flag in the humvees can have the license to come in openly that it was doing
covertly for so long. Have we not seen enough of American democracy in
Afghanisthan and Iraq in recent times? I always guessed your motive:-)
Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>The 'Above Average' are already in the surreal/illogical/romantic
conflict:-). They are very few in >numbers and have taken their seats either
with those who are in governance or those who want to >evict them with 'force'.
*** Really? But from what I read in esomonline or in assamnet, the insurgents
are fools and fill the ranks of the ignoramus That would leave the above
average running the show, duly elected thru that universal adult franchise our
Texan friend reminded us of. Are they clueless?
>The common people with average intelligence in Assam understand this
reality.
**** If they do, how come they don't do something about it? After all they
are in a democracy? they can change things to fir their needs. Who is holding
them back? The ignoramus of the insurgents?
Something does not add up here, does it?
> Yet, till now the common people with average intelligence have put the
'colonisers' in legit >governance through 'vote' and have spurned the 'freedom
fighters'.
*** So what seems to be problem? They are already in the promised land.
>Then why is the need for a plebiscite? Or UN presence will give the 'votes'
credibility?
*** Can we try a wild guess ? I explained it about half a dozen times in the
last two days or so. If we don't agree, can we at least hear WHY?
That is because no one , not even Indians, trust desi-demokrasy, would be my
conclusion. Am I wrong?
> Or would you say that all people have not 'voted' in these 'elections' or
that they are manipulated/ >rigged?
**** What do YOU think?
>Why do you think that all oxomiyas and oxombaxis would go out to vote if
held under UN auspices?
**** I don't know what they will do. Their track record of elections
certainly have not done any good for Assam.That is why I would like to FIND OUT.
At 2:46 AM +0100 10/15/07, uttam borthakur wrote:
The 'Above Average' are already in the surreal/illogical/romantic
conflict:-). They are very few in numbers and have taken their seats either
with those who are in governance or those who want to evict them with 'force'.
Irony is, both sides have nothing to show. The common people with average
intelligence in Assam understand this reality. Yet, till now the common people
with average intelligence have put the 'colonisers' in legit governance through
'vote' and have spurned the 'freedom fighters'. Then why is the need for a
plebiscite? Or UN presence will give the 'votes' credibility? Or would you say
that all people have not 'voted' in these 'elections' or that they are
manipulated/ rigged? Why do you think that all oxomiyas and oxombaxis would go
out to vote if held under UN auspices?
Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
At 3:24 PM +0100 10/14/07, uttam borthakur wrote:
That is what makes it surreal, and not real; beyond cause and effect; beyond
rationality. This is bothering common people of average intelligence; they
cannot afford romanticism.
**** How about the ABOVE AVERAGE, those who are in charge of their
'legitimate' governance, and those who put them there, by their overt or tacit
support? Can they afford it?
If they cannot, as I like to think they can't, WHAT HAVE THEY SHOWN for their
effort to bring the conflict to an end? I mean other than to wish ULFA away or
making perfunctory noises about the Govt. acting undemocratically every now
and then?
Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Has anyone made up his/her mind as to what should be the objective measure
about the stage when such a vote becomes mandatory?
**** It is NOT about making some OBJECTIVE , UNIVERSAL law, that will make it
BINDING on all those in violent conflicts, for whatever reason, to submit to a
plebiscite.
The plebiscite idea is a RESPONSE to the ULFA/Assam/ GoI conflict, because
those who accept and promote Indian supremacy over Assam CLAIM that they are
the majority in Assam, thus ULFA ought to disappear, in a desi-demokratic
dispensation where the numerical majority is expected to run supreme on all
issues.
No one needs to seek a plebiscite in Nagaland, do they?
**** On the matter of numbers of lives lost in the conflict, should it make a
difference whether it is 1,000 0r 5,000 or 10 if not 15?
And should it make a difference WHO are included in it?
George Bush and Dick Cheney would love it so to preside over desi-demokrasy,
where they wouldn't have to explain to anyone why their armies are permanently
placed in the NE or Kashmir , or tell anyone how many of their own people they
have killed or put in harms way, or what part of their annual outlay is and
have been expended since independence in fighting these wars against their
beloved brethren in Nagaland , in Assam, in Mizoram, in Manipur ,in Kashmir and
PRODUCING WHAT and at WHOSE expense.
Apparently democracy lovers brought up under the fine traditions of
desi-demokrasy missed it altogether.
Wonder WHY?
At 6:34 AM +0100 10/14/07, uttam borthakur wrote:
As I understand it, according to Sri C. Mahanta, 15000 lives lost ( I do not
know how this figure has been arrived at... whether it represents the number of
ULFA cadres killed or Oxomiyas killed (including those in unintended
cross-fires), .... whether it includes all lives lost including the
non-oxomiyas) over 29 years is the objective basis making the plebiscite
imperative. So, that is one measure.
Has anyone made up his/her mind as to what should be the objective measure
about the stage when such a vote becomes mandatory?
kamal deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The GOI has similarly been willing to hold parleys with ULFA in order to
hammer out a solution within the ambit of the Constitution.What is wrong with
that ?
KJD
On 10/13/07, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The big vacuum of reason here I see is this:
IF, Assam's OWNERS, I mean other those who sit in Dilli , so wish for
an end to hostilities
and can't figure out HOW, and if ULFA, the villains, declare that
they will abide by the
verdict of the people for whose sovereignty they gave nearly 15,000
Oxomiya lives over
29 years, then would it NOT make eminent sense to hold one?
What am I missing here? Would it be sincerity of purpose ( of a hope for
peace), or is that yet another
display , albeit unintended, attempt to to have it both ways?
At 3:57 AM +0100 10/14/07, uttam borthakur wrote:
Living in a cave does not exclude the yearning or formation of wisdom as
Plato would ask us to believe.
The right to self-determination should not be denied to any people. But the
question is: how the stage is to be assessed where a plebiscite becomes
imperative. Simply because ULFA says that, should it be held? That NSCN or
other outfits have claimed parts of the present Assam, should a plebiscite be
held for that purpose in the disputed areas? In that case there would be no end
to plebiscite and that is a very impractical thing. Then we will have to divide
Assam to the size of the city states and have to decide every issue through
citizens' vote! Now we have to assess whether the stage has come. I request
everyone here or otherwise to find an objective measure of assessment.
Moreover, could not the protagonists of secession consider building up of the
opinion without training their guns on the people of Assam on the pretext of
they being spies of the 'state' etc? The covert organisations always fall prey
to the guiles of the 'state' they fight by killing their own due to
suspicion and sometimes intra-organisational feud. Better they do things under
the sun taking people as their forte rather than ineffectual guns.
If the majority of the people feel that they should protect themselves with
guns, I would not oppose that. But the people do not need a few to 'protect'
and/or'kill' some of them on whimsy on the pleas of mistaken identity,
cross-fire etc.
kamal deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Rubi Bhuyan and the people of his/her ilk must be living in a cave,totally
detached from the ground realities of Assam.They are merely prodding at the
body of ' sovereignty' without knowing what it is all about---like children at
a new toy in the market showroom.Rubi Bhuyan's point of view expressed in the
Assam Net is of no consequence as far as I am concerned.
I respectfully disagree with Mr.Nayanjyoti Medhi's opinion,voiced in this
forum in regard to holding a plebiscite in Assam focusing solely on the
sovereignty issue as demanded by the ULFA,who are itching to break-up a
60-year-old kaleidoscopic federation.Why do we have to hold a
referendum,buckling under the pressure of an outfit that has been outlawed by
the Government ? Is Assam an exclusive preserve of the ULFA ? The right to
self-determination,if allowed in Assam,would then be reduced to a series of
voting exorcises,conducted every 10 years or so in order to meet the demand of
the new generation,at whose whim the border of a country could be defined and
redefined.It will not be very difficult to imagine the chaos,it would create in
a polyglot,multi-ethnic and multi-religious state as Assam's,if such recipe
were to be applied state-wide as a solution.
Kamal J Deka
sugarland,Texas.
On 10/13/07, Nayanjyoti Medhi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dear Rubi,
I thought since you have been following my postings in Assam online and
Assamnet, You would be enlightened as to what, I as an Assamese would want for
me and my fellowmen. But it saddens me because, maybe the one interacting with
me and the one following my posts are probably not the same person. If both
were the same person, then you would not have written this to me. Even if you
ask Chandan Mahanta, he will tell you that I have been one of the few in
Assamnet who has been advocating against the kiling of our own brothers and
sisters. Whether it is in Bhutan, Burma, Arunachal or in their own backyards. I
have even gone on record saying that there should be a plebiscite. Preferably a
independent one where the Government agencies has no part/role to play. I had
requested only one condition that there should be a guarantee that the people's
wishes should be respected. I am on record that i have been advocating against
killing. of innocents and others equally. But then how
would you know. You are not the one following the posts. However I would
suggest that you see the postings in Assamnet put there by me few days back.
You will find that it is me who wrote that there should be a plebiscite because
a very miniscule portion of the masses have access to internet and their views
here do not reflect the view of the masses. And that is the very reason why I
requested you (ULFA) to go to the masses in the last post as well as in my
reply to the letter written by you to Shantikam Hazarika, a copy of which was
also sent to me.
**** Instead of discussing how such an environment be created, saying that
the United Nations won't agree to a plebiscite, is not like plucking a solution
from the thin air?
****You have put emphasis on the changes the administration has brought in.
Pray tell me when and where did I make the statement that United Nations
won't agree to a plebiscite. And one thing more. I have never emphasised on the
changes the administration has bought in. Again, I ask you, When and where did
I say that? Infact I have gone on record saying that I am disgusted with both
the Government and you (see my reply to C Da's post) because neither has done
anything for peace and progress of Assam (I have not seen any results in 28
years, I have become a man from 4 months old baby).
Nayan
P.S: Please ask Chandan Da not to barge in and write a hilarious reply to
what i have written coz i won't reply then.
On 10/13/07, ulfa_ 1979April7 <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:
Dear Nayanjyoti Medhi,
We have read your comments in AssamOnline. You wrote," "Times have changed.
The boys are disillusioned after living in jungle camps with mosquitoes and
malaria, killing, avoiding the bullets of the Indian security forces, and no
real destination in sight. To the mainstream Assamese the ULFA is no longer a
struggle for national salvation but one that keeps normal life disturbed. Is it
not the time to rethink and ask the people what they want? The ULFA should ask
the people if the Assamese people see the ULFA movement as a beneficial and
healthy activity for the betterment of the Assamese people? Do the Assamese
people really feel they are not part of India and are being exploited by New
Delhi?
Now the final question is that whether The ULFA movement is something that is
wanted by the people of Assam and supported by them or is it something which is
being imposed on them." We find that your statement is a mere repetition of
what the unified command structure has been saying for the last twenty eight
years. We do not accept such views. The colonial administration has been
trying to steer the fate of the liberation struggle of Asom to their liking for
the past 28 years. You have put emphasis on the changes the administration has
brought in. But, why the struggle by thousands of freedom fighters in a tough
situation created by fifth columnists facing uncertain future is still ongoing
has not been highlighted by you?
The ULFA has admitted of civilian casuality in unfortunate circumstances(viz
suddenly appearing during firing) while conducting operations against the
enemy. Anticipating such casualities we have publicly requested people not to
be with the occupation forces or in close proximity of the military camps or
otherwise.
The murder of engineer Ajay Deka and the old woman Sabitri Rajbangshi has
proven again our contention that the unified command structure has been
involved in these crimes in a planned manner to malign the ULFA. Some may not
believe our position, but, they should not believe the unified command
structure's assertions either. You are talking about people supporting the
unified structure but there is no mention of the need for independent inquiry
into their operations leading to human suffering and deaths. Hence we find your
views biased.
We are saying that there are masses who want an independent Asom. We have
demanded a plebiscite on the restoration of Asom's sovereignty under the
supervision of the United Nations. We have declared long time ago that we shall
accept the verdict of the people. Pre-judging of a possible negative outcome
of such a plebiscite conducted in a environment fee of fear, surely is not
devoid of prejudices? Instead of discussing how such an environment be created,
saying that the United Nations won't agree to a plebiscite, is not like
plucking a solution from the thin air? Why do you have to be dependent on
whether India will agree to it or not? Without gauzing the true depth what the
majority of people of Asom wants, based on a opinion poll conducted at the
behest of the army and the police and use of the internet voting available only
o some town dwellers, you suggest be the decisive verdict on the fate of the
land and the people?
Is it not very childish to talk like this?
With warm wishes
Rubi Bhuyan
"Nayanjyoti Medhi" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
28 years have gone by since the start of the liberation struggle by the
United Liberation Front of Assam. Many boys have died and their bodies rest in
unmarked graves in jungles of Bhutan, Arunachal, Myanmar and still many have
died in their own backyards. Many are languishing in the different jails all
throughout Assam . Many have surrendered and joined the mainstream. Not only
the boys, with them many civilians who did not have anything to do with
liberation have given their lives in this ongoing struggle between the state
and the liberation army.
United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed on April 7, 1979 at the Rang
Ghar in Sibsagar to establish a "sovereign socialist Assam" through an armed
struggle. Of course, there was an initial euphoria and an unnaturally
heightened sense of alienation because of the step motherly attitude of the
Indian Government in the initial stages of the movement. The truth has since
been gradually realised and that sense of alienation has died.
Times have changed. The boys are disillusioned after living in jungle camps
with mosquitoes and malaria, killing, avoiding the bullets of the Indian
security forces, and no real destination in sight. To the mainstream Assamese
the ULFA is no longer a struggle for national salvation but one that keeps
normal life disturbed. Is it not the time to rethink and ask the people what
they want? The ULFA should ask the people if the Assamese people see the ULFA
movement as a beneficial and healthy activity for the betterment of the
Assamese people? Do the Assamese people really feel they are not part of India
and are being exploited by New Delhi?
Now the final question is that whether The ULFA movement is something that is
wanted by the people of Assam and supported by them or is it something which is
being imposed on them.
Nayanjyoti Medhi
Advocate
Gauhati High Court
Chamber:
Satya Bora Lane, Dighalipukhuri East
Guwahati-781001, Assam
Phone:
+91 361 2416960
+91 94350 43007
Email:
nayanjyoti.medhi@ gmail.com
___________________________________________________________
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Nayanjyoti Medhi
Advocate
Gauhati High Court
Chamber:
Satya Bora Lane, Dighalipukhuri East
Guwahati-781001, Assam
Phone:
+91 361 2416960
+91 94350 43007
Email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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