I neglected to make one point clear. Yes, since it started in the Sentinel, it has to be finished/striaghtened in there only. Or else, the Sentinel readers woudl have a bad impression on us. :) Then coming back to Dilip Deka's valid point - if we're so concerned, why are we writing/discussing/reading about it on The Sentinel - the english newspaper from Assam? What happened to Doinik Oxom, Oxom Batori, Oxomiya Pratidin, etc.?? Is it like, 'Kaak-nu buliba Koka, aataaire daari-suli pokaa'? I am just clue-less!! But I myself would plead guilty, as I am writing this in English also, instead of Assamese. And honestly, if it was any easier I would write this in Assamese. :)
“In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble like a blade of grass.” > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: assam@assamnet.org> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 > 11:46:15 -0500> Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.> > > > Discussing this subject in the Sentinel, an English newspaper, is the same as > discussing the topic of death of Oxomiya bhaxa in English that Kamal Deka > complained about. What happened to the Assamese newspapers? Are they not at > the same intellectual level?> There is one good reason for using the Sentinel > and the Assam Tribune. The readers of these newspapers are in the same boat > as we ex-pats are - skeptical if their future generations will retain > anything Assamese. :-)> > Here is an excellent point made by DD. > Though the > reason for it could be technology, lack of availability of an 'Assamese > keyboard', etc. > > BTW, reading 'Oxomiya Pratidin' has not been possible > lately, even after I signed up for it. The font was too small and it was like > a jpeg file - could not change/expand anything to read or go forward. What am > I missing?> > Let's face it! English is everybody's favorite, or else, > hundreds of English medium schools would not have sprouted around in Assam. > Now, may be there is a good reason for it - that, only if you know English, > you can "survive" in most part of the world. > > > > > > > > > > “In order to > make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble like a > blade of grass.”> > > > > > > Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:18:53 -0700> From: > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: assam@assamnet.org> Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to > the Editor.> > I saw this in Rajen Barua's email, " BTW I will send a verson > of this writing to Sentinel so that people in> > Assam will not hold to the > wrong impression that we donot speak in Assamese> > at all. etc"> Discussing > this subject in the Sentinel, an English newspaper, is the same as discussing > the topic of death of Oxomiya bhaxa in English that Kamal Deka complained > about. What happened to the Assamese newspapers? Are they not at the same > intellectual level?> There is one good reason for using the Sentinel and the > Assam Tribune. The readers of these newspapers are in the same boat as we > ex-pats are - skeptical if their future generations will retain anything > Assamese. :-)> Dilip Deka> > ======================================================================================> > > > ----- Original Message ----> From: Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world > <assam@assamnet.org>> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 7:55:49 AM> Subject: Re: > [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.> > Dear Barua,> > Excellent response, I > couldn't have said it better. While Assamese NRIs may> have their faults, I > cannot imagine that any single one would ever claim the> following: > (Color/bold mine).> > *" It is too facile of an argument,* *often made by the > expatriate Asomiyas,> that teaching children their native language interferes > with the English> language development. It would, therefore, be better to > focus on English> than teach a language that is going to be of limited use in > this country.> This line of reasoning, in my opinion, does not seem to have > two legs to> stand for a few simple reasons."*> > IMHO, even if some > kharkhowa believes the above, I hope they are not> that naive to declare that > to someone else.> > I hope the Sentinel publishes your letter so that > everyone can get a> balanced view.> > --Ram> > > > > > > On 6/13/08, Rajen & > Ajanta Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:> >> >> > Dear KJD> > Thanks for the > intellectual and timely article on Oxomiya Bhaxa (Assamese> > Language) > published in the Sentinel. This is an important and sensitive> > subject and > you have touched some truths. However I find that overall, the> > article has > given a rather one sided and distorted view of the Assamese in> > America, > and people in Assam might get the impression that we Assamese in> > America > donot speak Assamese at all. It is basically to correct this view,> > that I > have decided to comment on your article.> >> > First I am glad that you are > addressing the 'Assamese language in America'> > and not 'Assamese language > in Assam'. These are two separate issues. Writing> > about the 'demise of > Assamese language in America', you are hitting on the> > bull's eye and on a > real problem. The same is however not true for the> > Assamese language in > general as many of us like to imagine. The Assamese> > language in general > will flow as long as the river luit will flow.> >> > As you have pointed out > like many other languages, the 'Assamese language> > in America' will > eventually die out. If any one does the numerical analysis,> > this is > inevitable, and frankly speaking there is no point in being> > emotional or > critical about it. The Tie Ahoms lost their mother tongue in> > Assam the > same way. The issue of inevitability is however not reflected> > your > article. Rather you are showing as if it is a news for all of us and> > > especially to the Assamese people back home.> >> > That being said, let us > not bring death to the 'Assamese language in> > America' prematurely. The > fact is the Assamese language in America is not> > dead yet. You wrote > "....most of the Asomiyas, belonging to the in-between> > generation, if not > all, do not speak their mother tongue at all." I am sure> > most Assamese in > America would not agree with you. In fact, we still have> > most Assamese > converse in Assamese when we meet together in Assamese parties> > and we have > many Assamese children who speak fluent Assamese. Not only that,> > we have > writers and poets in the country who writes in Assamese. Thus your> > > statement, "The Asomiya language in the USA has already been put to sleep by> > > the Asomiyas themselves," is a bit exaggeration, highly controversial and> > > frankly speaking not true.> >> > Leaving aside the above exaggeration, let > us see the reasons cited by you> > for the eventual demise of the Assamese > language in America. You wrote, "It> > is too facile of an argument, often > made by the expatriate Asomiyas, that> > teaching children their native > language interferes with the English language> > development." Frankly > speaking, I find this absolutely a wrong assumption. I> > donot think there > are any such unfortunate and ignorant Assamese in America> > (or elsewhere) > who sincerely believe the above outdated theory and that is> > why they donot > teach Assamese to their children. The actual reason why the> > parents donot > teach Assamese to their children is plain and simple. We are> > too laid > back, hobo diok and lazy. At the same time, there are many parents,> > like > us, who speak to their children in Assamese. Now formal teaching of> > > Assamese is a different matter altogether which must have to be a community> > > effort. As communities we are small everywhere and where we can, frankly> > > speaking we are lazy and take our usual 'hoobo diok' attitude. It is not> > > because we Assamese donot have pride in our culture and language, as we have> > > said. On the other hand, I think we (the NRI Assamese) have too much pride> > > in the Assamese language and culture. That is why we celebrate Bihu almost> > > everywhere in the globe now a days. That is why we meet annually in two> > > places at the same fourth of July every years in America.> >> > Coming to > your concluding remark on teaching Assamese, "One would fall off> > the chair > to learn that the entire affair is conducted in English! I am at a> > loss to > understand as to how on earth one can pass one's culture and> > heritage on > to their progeny by merely holding Bihu function once in a year> > without > impressing upon their children the importance of learning their own> > > language which is the essence of any culture." On this I am with you. I> > > agree that it seems a bit hypocritical for the Assamese in Houston to debate> > > in English during the Bihu about the 'demise of the Assamese language in> > > Assam'. I think it is not only hypocritical bu rather wastage of time. I> > > would have rather spent the time teaching Assamese to our children, which in> > > fact I had suggested strongly.> >> > Overall I think your article will play > very well in Assam where people are> > ready to judge the NRIs on wrong > assumptions like we the NRIs like to judge> > Assam often time on wrong > assumptions. I hope we are learning.> >> > Incidentally some of us are trying > to come up with a scheme to teach basic> > Assamese to the children. Please > watch out for some good news.> >> > BTW I will send a verson of this writing > to Sentinel so that people in> > Assam will not hold to the wrong impression > that we donot speak in Assamese> > at all. etc> >> > Thanks> > Rajen > Kokaideu> >> >> >> >> >> >> > ----- Original Message -----> > From: kamal > deka> > To: Rajen & Ajanta Barua> > Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 9:04 AM> > > Subject: Letter to the Editor.> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > The Demise of Asomiya Language in America> > > Half of the world's 6,000 languages, as> > estimated by the United Nations, > will go the way of the dinosaurs in less> > than a century. In fact one falls > out of use about every two weeks. Usually,> > the life of a language comes to > an end when the speakers of the language> > stop speaking it for any reason. > The Asomiya language in the USA has already> > been put to sleep by the > Asomiyas themselves, which is the product of> > parental failure to inculcate > a sense of pride in our ancient culture and> > language. After all, diet and > dialect are perhaps the emblems of any> > society. The abdication of the > Asomiya parents makes it easy for the Asomiya> > children here in America to > follow the path of least resistance by imitating> > their American peers. The > result : most of the Asomiyas, belonging to the> > in-between generation, if > not all, do not speak their mother tongue at all.> > It is too facile of an > argument, often made> > by the expatriate Asomiyas, that teaching children > their native language> > interferes with the English language development. It > would, therefore, be> > better to focus on English than teach a language that > is going to be of> > limited use in this country. This line of reasoning, in > my opinion, does not> > seem to have two legs to stand for a few simple > reasons.> > First, research consistently points to the> > cognitive and > academic advantages of being bilingual, no matter what the> > second language > is. But the Asomiya parents are not dissuaded by> > multilingual > pre-schoolers reading earlier and faster than their monolingual> > > counterparts. The young child's alloplastic mind is fertile ground for a> > > multitude of ideas. Far from stunting mastery in English, learning another> > > language enhances a child's ability to learn English by expanding linguistic> > > structure and syntax. Furthermore, most children passively acquire English> > > through ubiquitous interactions with teachers and fellow schoolmates at> > > school, television and on the street. Conversely, they imbibe their native> > > language only at home.> > Secondly, when Americans themselves have> > begun > to realize that this land is not a melting pot but rather a rich> > mosaic, > it is ironic that many of us still cling to the archaic philosophy> > of > Romans in Rome. Thankfully, the Asomiyas here in America do not live in> > > such a rigid world where they have to choose between extremes.> > Thirdly, > there is another powerful benefit> > that is relevant to our children growing > up here and that is in helping them> > a strong sense of identity which can > help lead to better self-esteem and> > self-confidence.> > The Asomiya > diaspora of the USA insists and> > claims that the foremost reason of > celebrating Bihu is to transmit - and> > preserve - our culture to the next > generation. One would fall off the chair> > to learn that the entire affair > is conducted in English! I am at a loss to> > understand as to how on earth > one can pass one's culture and heritage on to> > their progeny by merely > holding Bihu function once in a year without> > impressing upon their > children the importance of learning their own language> > which is the > essence of any culture.> > Kamaljit Deka,> > Sugarland, Texas.> >> >> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> > The information contained in this e-mail is intended only > for the> > individual or entity to whom it is addressed.> > Its contents > (including any attachments) may contain confidential> > and/or privileged > information.> > If you are not an intended recipient you must not use, > disclose,> > disseminate, copy or print its contents.> > If you receive this > e-mail in error, please notify the sender by> > reply e-mail and delete and > destroy the message.> >> >> > > _______________________________________________> > assam mailing list> > > assam@assamnet.org> > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> >> > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> > assam@assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> > assam@assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > _________________________________________________________________> Instantly > invite friends from Facebook and other social networks to join you on Windows > Live™ Messenger.> > https://www.invite2messenger.net/im/?source=TXT_EML_WLH_InviteFriends> > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> > assam@assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _________________________________________________________________ Enjoy 5 GB of free, password-protected online storage. http://www.windowslive.com/skydrive/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_skydrive_062008 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
