Alpana:
I can understand your frsutration at the news published by AANA in Sentinel. I also feel that the news should have been from the Host Commitee in St Louis giving the overall picture of the 'Assam 2003'. However, we will have to look at things in broader perspective.
The fact is we are a small community, and whether we like it or not we have many organizations here. AANA, ASA, ASNA, AFNA, UAONA to name the majors. And whether we like it or not, every organization has a right to bit its own drum the way it feels. In this small community various organizations have been doing commendable works for the community. Only way we can live is to live with the principle of Unity in Diversity.
As the news says, AANA can bit its drum that it is born out of the emotions and sentiments of the Student movement in Assam in 1980 and that it has awaken the sleeping Assamese American community. ASA (worophe Oxom Xongho) can bit its own drum being the oldest Assamese organization in America, and for publishing a nice annual Assamese magazine 'Oxomi' and many other projects. Oxom Xahityo Xobha can bit its drum for keeping the literary tradition and editing a very good annual Assamese magazine 'Luitor Pora Misisipi' (and for bringing such literary figures as Mamoni Roisom Goswami to this country) etc. AFNA can bit its drum for doing many creative projects in Assam. Even UAONA can bit its own drum for simply being a catalist for the joint conventions in the community. However, at the end of the day, what counts is what is actually achieved.
Personally I am member of all the above organizations. So one organization's biting it own drum, does not affect me either way. However, I think that while bitting the drums, the organizations should follow certain simple and basic house rules based on Truth and Democracy (the two things we need to learn from the West). The News published should be TRUE and it should be done in a DEMOCRATIC manner.
With the above in view, I assume that the publication of the referenced news by AANA in the 'Sentinel' has the approval of AANA President. (If not then we have a problem). Now coming to the matter of Truth, I find that the News publsihed by AANA has some untruth regarding how AANA was formed in 1979/80. As such, as a AANA member, (and without going into details in public), I request the AANA President that he/she would be more careful in future in publication of any such news in the Press as otherwise publication of false news simply lower the creditabilty of such a prestigous organization as AANA.
Rajen barua, Houston, Texas (An AANA Member)
>From: "Alpana Sarangapani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "Prakash Deka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Ganesh Bora" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: [Assam] From Sentinel - AANA silver jubilee
>Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 20:45:42 -0500
>
>I totally agree with both of you, Ganesh and Prakash.
>
>At first I thought Ganesh was pointing out to a typo or something and kept
>looking if they were saying Assam 2003 instead of Assam 2004. Like a tube
>light. I understood everything only after Prakash's letter.
>
>After so much talk of "all organizations coming together", and it was
>supposedly that the Assamese community is "inviting" all the organizations,
>and this press release says "one" organization is inviting all of them. The
>final stroke (though not unexpected) - this was an AANA PRESS release - so,
>one can safely assume there was NO mis-reporting by the Sentinel, and must
>have had the full blessings of the AANA higer ups.
>
>I haven't been to attend any of the meetings (though I must state that I was
>also included in the invitation emails), but this kind of misleading
>releases to the press, does convince us that the 2004 Texas convention would
>likely be an all "AANA affair".
>
>If this is the case, then I am doubly convinced that I've no business going
>there. And if so, would the AANA Texas organizers please remove me (and my
>husband) from your mailing list for the meetings for organizing the Texas
>event next year? As we do not belong to AANA, we would like no part in any
>organizing activities. We wish them all success, and if possible will
>definitely try and attend the convention next year as a part of the Assamese
>community here.
>
>I am sure that level headed people like Aradhana b'deu, Dilip Deka, etc.,
>will definitely be able to straighten out the facts, and throw some light.
>
>Jugal: Rest assured, FYI: there is at least one Assamese in Texas that is
>independent minded.
>
>--Alpana B. Sarangapani
>-a non partisan Assamese in Houston, Texas.
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Prakash Deka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "Ganesh Bora" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 3:38 PM
>Subject: Re: [Assam] From Sentinel - AANA silver jubilee
>
>
> > I agree with you. I think the person who compiled and forwarded this
>misleading
> > report to the Sentinel would come forward and correct it. Or maybe the
>host
> > committee of Assam 2004 will clarify the objective that the Assamese
>community
> > will be celebrating ASSAM 2004 wherein a participating organization is
>also
> > going to mark its silver jubilee anniversary - it is not the other way
>around.
> >
> >
> > We should remain vigilant of any group/person whose motto is 'organization
> > before community' and who wants to take us back to where we were and
>deprive
> > assamese community of the common fun that they have been relishing in the
>last
> > few years after walking a tightrope between division and unity.
> >
> > Prakash
> >
> > --- Ganesh Bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
> > > This is in the Sentinel today. I thought it should have been ASSAM-2004.
>But
> > > it is reported as AANA Silver jubilee and some thing on Assam
>Agitation!!!!
> > >
> > > Have a nice week-end
> > >
> > > Ganesh Bora
> > > ----------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > > AANA silver jubilee jamboree in Texas
> > >
> > > GUWAHATI, Aug 7: The Assam Association of North America (AANA), in its
> > > general
> > > body meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri on July 5 accepted the
>invitation of
> > >
> > > the Texas Assamese residents to hold and celebrate AANA's silver
>Jubilee. The
> > >
> > > 25th AANA convention will be held in Texas, AANA's birthplace, next year
>on
> > > July 3-4, 2004. The AANA general body has invited all the other Assamese
> > > organizations to come to Texas and participate in these celebrations,
>stated
> > > a
> > > press release of the AANA.
> > >
> > > It may be mentioned that AANA came into being in support of the Assam
> > > movement
> > > for the detection and deportation of the immigrants illegally settled in
> > > Assam. The movement which was started by the All Assam Students
>Union(AASU)
> > > in
> > > July 1978 gained momentum with the boycotting of elections by the All
>Assam
> > > Gana Sangram Parishad(AAGSP), a forum of over ten organizations and
>political
> > >
> > > parties. An increase in political and social strife throughout the State
> > > resulted in the imposition of President's rule on December 12, 1979,
>which
> > > caused further turmoil in the Assamese society. It was against this
>backdrop
> > > that 11 Assamese families met in an emergency meeting in Houston, Texas
>on
> > > January 19,1980. They quickly realized that the disparately located
>small
> > > number of Assamese families throughout the large North American
>continent of
> > > USA and Canada needed to organize and make the international community
>aware
> > > of the situation back in their homeland. Accordingly, the first AANA
> > > convention was held on August 31, 1980 in Houston, Texas.
> > >
> > > The annual conventions have been held regularly since then and the
> > > organization has progressed from strength to strength. These annual
> > > conventions have been the biggest occasions for the Assamese people of
>North
> > > America to get together and discuss subjects of mutual interest, meet
>mutual
> > > friends, make new friends, participate in cultural programmes and give a
> > > sense
> > > of identity, history, and culture of their forebears to the next
>generation
> > > of
> > > Assamese Americans, the press release said.
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Assam mailing list
> > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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> >
> >
> >
> >
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