Dear Hazarika:
Chandan has already adequately replied to your questions, and in fact asked some more. I was thinking of making some clarifications to your comments.
First let me tell you that what you are doing may be said well by any of the following Assamese proverbs:
1) Hola gos dekhile ataie bagi kuthar mare.
2) Urohor khong bhoga dharit.
3) Raije Sale bere kwbwaise.
4) Ebar xape khale Kesu.loikw bhoi.
Etc
>Since you were connected with the past unification efforts, I presumed you
>knew what was the result of the past efforts.
I am not trying to defend Chandan, but this is to refresh your and everybody's memory that Chandan was not connected to any of the past unification efforts of AANA and ASA that culminated in the doomed 1991 Philadelphia Joint Convention. As a matter of fact Chandan was not even present in the said convention. So the above remark actually does not apply to poor Chandan. On the other hand, while the result of the doomed Convention is known to everybody, without going into details let me simply say that Chandan's perception of reasons of the failure may be quite different to yours and many others in the community as he could look at the issue without any biasness either from AANA or ASA's side. That may explain why he may be yet positive about the future of 'unification' although many in the community term him (as well as some of us) as snakes who simply refuse to die even after being killed.
>Even after 5 successful joint conventions, UAONA still exists. Mahanta:
>since you are one of the persons involved in the creation of UAONA, for the
>benefit of the community, can you please explain why UAONA still exists? Do
>you like to share some of your success/frustration/wisdom?
Here again, I would ask you to refresh your memory to the fact that Chandan was not at all involved in the creation of UAONA. But I bet his heart is in UAONA and he has already explained why UAONA still exists. Looking at the issue positively, one can say that UAONA was borne from the ashes of Philadelphia to hold the divided community of AANA and ASA with 'jwra tapoli.' UAONA is acting rather like a 'dhwka'. The UAONA members, at that time, thought that the 'dhwka' would be very temporary and would be removed as soon as both AANA and ASA would unite. However, it is now 12 years (how time flies!) that UAONA is still acting like a 'dhwka' in the community. In future, we hope that the community will be one, and the 'dhwka' will be meaningless and will be removed and discarded. But from your message and from the on-going e-mail fights with the Host Committee, it seems that we are still struggling for the 'joint convention', not to speak for unification. To make it even gloomier, some AANA members are, in fact, openly declaring that they are against these 'joint conventions'. So you tell us, Hazarika, how long you want UAONA to stay? If on the other hand, you can show that UAONA is the culprit that is bringing division to the Assamese Community here and the community will unite and there will be one organization and peace once this UAONA culprit is removed, I can assure you that UAONA members will very happily resolve it (if that is the only reason holding AANA and ASA from forming one organization).
Regarding joint conventions also, I need to refresh your memory and clarify people's perception. It is a fact that in 1999, we had the first AANA-ASA joint convention in Houston, and we thank many of you AANA moderates for making it happen by convincing the AANA hard liners for the merits of a joint convention. From 1992 till 1998, while AANA was arranging its separate conventions alone, the rest of the community however, had been arranging successful non-organizational Assamese Get Togethers. In 1992, we had a successful Get Together in Chicago where Dr Bhupen Hazarika was the chief artist. In 1993, we had another successful Assamese Get Together in New Jersey where Khagen and Archana Mahanta were the chief artists. In all these Get Together, AANA was invited (almost with tamwl panor xorai) without any success. In 1996, UAONA members decided to go to AANA Chicago Convention to persuade the AANA members to join the following year�s joint convention proposed from Los Angeles. To refresh your memory, there also the rest of the community failed to persuade AANA to join the joint convention. As a result, we had an Assamese Get Together (without AANA) in Los Angelos in 1997 arranged by California Assamese Community including some veteran AANA members. Artist Jitul Sonowal graced the occasion. Next year we had another Assam 1998 Get Together in St Louis where Ramen and Dipen Barua brothers were the chief guests.
So we all were really glad and excited that in 1999, AANA finally decided to join the rest of the community in a 'joint convention'. We again thank you and others for fighting with the AANA hard liners and convincing them of the wisdom to have one convention in the community.
Now since then we had five successful joint conventions. Every year, we the UAONA members worked hard behind the scene to make it happen. In last year�s joint convention in St Louis, we, as a community, have achieved something good. The AANA and ASA general bodies have passed a joint resolution where both ASA and AANA would jointly decide and agree on the future venues of the joint conventions every year. This is a great achievement for the unification of the community. We sincerely thank ASA members for initiating this bold step and persuading AANA to adopt it for the sake of the community. We hope that the joint AANA-ASA executive committee will work sincerely to achieve this goal.
This year, AANA really snatched the joint convention from the San Francisco community who were eager and willing to hold it. (Incidently we never had any Assamese Convention is San Francisco so far.) Again, the rest of the community gave in to AANA's wishes for the sake of unity. In spite of this year�s hot e-mails, we hope that the Texas Host Committee (which is predominantly AANA members) will be sensitive to ASA's views and will be able to hold a successful joint convention and will continue the tradition to the future.
Coming back to your 'unification', my perception is, however, to go for a Federal type of unification where all orgs enjoy their autonomy and freedom, and at the same time united by a joint annual convention. With this process, I also have great faith that we can still achieve 'unification' through Oxom Xahityo Xobha and AFNA. AFNA is already opening up to the entire community. Some of us are trying so that Oxom Xahityo Xobha also opens up to the entire community. So far we have received very positive responses from AANA as well as ASA's sides in this respect. Through this e-mail, I would like to appeal to the Oxom Xahitya Xobha President to adopt a resolution this year so that all ASA members become automatic Oxom Xahitya Xobha members (like AANA members). Also our proposal is that the magazine 'Luitor Pora Misisipi' (an organ of Oxom Xahityo Xobha) should be jointly published by both AANA and ASA (keeping the same name) so that the cost can be shared and the magazine can be made available to the entire community members.
Let us hope that the newly formed joint AANA-ASA executive committee will discuss among themselves and will work towards these goals in consultation with Oxom Xahityo Xobha. We would appreciate your help and support in these regards.
Please let me know if I may be of any help.
Thanks
Rajen Barua
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