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I guess there is nothing wrong with the system as iit exists if others can
make use of it and profit at the same time. The fact is that we have been
able to do so for reasons best known.
If I remember correctly (I was not around at the time, the ULFA movement
began with a view to rooting out corruption within the Assam Government and
establishing a "better government." Even after 25 years or so, it has
failed in its initial movement and has now shifted its stance.
One cannot change the system overnight or even another individual, but one
can start by changing oneself. This is what we need to do.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 11:31
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Include UK in
talks.
At 10:47 AM +0800 12/8/04, Anjan K. Nath wrote:
Yes, Autonomy or the Federal Type of
Government.
*** Yes, but WHY do you need autonomy? What is wrong with the present
system? It IS a federal system as they claim, isn't it? Are we suggesting what
it is claimed to be,is not?
If so, why isn't it changed? Could it not have been changed in a quarter
century? And if it could not be changed in a quarter century, WHEN and HOW
will it be changed? Would you hazard a guess?
>Had we been more concientious and hard working, we would not be
talking of >being "exploited"
Are we suggesting, that to live in the jungles, and willingly becoming
cannon-fodder is the nature of 'lazy', kaniya-kharkhowas spouting
'exploitation' slogans? Somehow the picture is not a believable
one.
Independence at this stage is not
acceptable to many and perhaps, not feasable too. BUT within the
present system it can still work as has been shown by Punjab, Kerela,
Karnataka, Maharashtra and others.
Had we been more concientious and hard
working, we would not be talking of being "exploited", but rather exploiting
greater opportunities in ourselves and others. Mere talking will not
help and neither will killing, but hard work and a positive mind
might. There is no sense in Delhi bashing when we, the
people, elect our representatives to parliament and the
legislature. We have also have had our people represented as
President, Speaker, Congress President, and what-have-yous. In spite
of it all, we still complain. Prosperity can never come this way and,
maybe, neither can peace. What is a "mutually acceptable" formula is
difficult to define here if one is to go by the formula that created the
SULFAs and other such bodies. What we need is not a magic formula, but
rather a committment from the masses that they will take stock of their
affairs and strive to a better society devoid of murder, mayhem, and
manipulation!
Anjan
----- Original Message -----
From: Chan
Mahanta
To: Anjan K.
Nath
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 9:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Include UK in talks, says
ULFA
O'A:
>--- Why can't we?
*** Great question. And this is exactly where the root of our
troubles is. Olop daw-koi khandi saale' iyatei urohi gosor wr tw paba,
buisa?
>--What we can do is strive for more autonomy
*** WHY do we need AUTONOMY? What is wrong with what is in
place?
And here resides the answer to your question.
I would submit, that 'we cannot ---' is because of the
asymmetrical arrangement of being dominated and exploited that Assam and
the NE peoples find themselves in, after the British handed them over to
India in nice little package, when they left.
The checks and balances of Indian democracy never worked. It
is dysfunctional. And it is unchangeable. It is the tattered behemoth that
is unable to change course.
That is why you want AUTONOMY, that is why ULFA wants
independence. To be able to fashion your own destiny, without having to be
dependent on the mercies of the dysfunctional Indian state or its
constitutional bounds or the legendary Indian benevolence - economic,
cultural, religious or you name it.
I would hope the parties to the conflicts would be able to
talk instead of killing each other, and find a mutually acceptable
formula, to live side by side, in peace, and maintaining and enriching
those shared bonds, but never again in the asymmetrical arrangement of
today's.
O's
At 7:34 PM +0800 12/7/04, Anjan K. Nath wrote:
O' Chan,
For that matter how many countries as we know today existed
and still exists in the same form and shape from days of
yore? Britain itself was a combination of England, Scotland
and Wales with Anlges, Saxons, Jutes, Celts, Scots, and what
have-yous who could unite under one nation. Why can't
we?
At least we can conjecture from the Proto-Indian texts that
India did exist as a nation before the so-called Aryan invasion followed
by other invasions in due course of history. The term "Mahadeva"
symbolized as the five-pronged trident (meaning great) along with the
picture of a fish (ruler) appears several times denoting that a great
ruler ruled the country. The trouble is that what we refer to as
India dates to the Aryan civilization, but even so, the oft
quoted Aryan text, The Rig Veda, does refer to India as a
nation.
Now, what point of history do we take? The rule of
Asoka, the Mohamedians, or the British? And with specific
reference to Assam, why do we begin from the Ahoms?
Weren't the Ahoms invaders too?
I don't have any books on Assam History at hand, but from
what I remember, Chao-Ka-Pha (Chukapha) the discontended prince
from the Khunglung family of Shan states (Hukong Valley) plundered his
way to the Brahmaputra Valley (somewhere near Namrup) sometime in 1228
A.D. After some 13 years of living as farmers, they eventually ran
into conflict with the Morans and then started the other battles won
by either intrigue or force of arms.
If we say that India was unified by the British, then we
have to accept THAT date as the starting point for the sake of debate,
hence my contention that we have the right to ask the British to restore
Pakistan and Bangladesh to pre-independence times. This may be
wishful thinking, but we have to face the realities as they exist, and
we cannot undo what has been done and accepted for over 56
years.
What we can do is strive for more autonomy and work harder
to achieve a better standard of life and living within the
system.
AKN
----- Original Message -----
From: Chan
Mahanta
To: Anjan
K. Nath
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 11:04
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Include UK in talks, says
ULFA
Hi Anjan:
Coleridge aside, Bharat of yore was not a
state. It was a multitude
of states, princely or pauperly, that
live together in proximity with
each other, dealing with each
other, trading with each other,
fighting with each other, sharing
certain common bonds; such as their
gods, or their cultural attributes, food habits and
whatever preceded
Bollywood movies. But still they were individual,
sovereign entities,
UNLIKE today's India, herded together by a
centralized power
structure. Had such an arrangement worked, no
problems. But it did
not, it does not. So what is the alternative?
Remain the joint family
ruled by the patriarchs, and in constant
turmoil--or 'beleg hoi
thaka', but remain a family in peace, each
to her own, living within
their means,separately, even if in
different standards?
To me, the choice is a
no-brainer.
And it has nothing to do with receding to the
ice-age, or the stone age.
C
At
10:11 AM -0800 12/7/04, Anjan K. Nath wrote:
>O'
CM,
>Dhemali koribo napai, ne?
>
>As S.T. Coleridge
says: For a total poetic experience one needs to
>merge the
improbable into the probable and the probalbe into
the
>improbable. The present situation seems to be one
such exercise --
>one of negative capability.
>
>I
made my remarks with that view in mind. India has been
fragmented
>by foreign rulers and this would have gone well if
we were, say, the
>Union of Indian States or even the United
States of India. Fact is
>and was that India was a nation
of princely states, but collectively
>known as Bharat. And like
the Confederate of German States, it
>united as the Republic of
India and has been so for the past 50
>years or
so.
>
>As Alpana rightly pointed out, should we go back to
the Ice Age to
>determine what was India? Maybe we can be
closer to history and
>simply settle the boundary when the Pala
Kings ruled. You see,
>there is no end to this sort of
argument, except, perhaps, in humour.
>
>AKN
>-----
Original Message ----- From: "Chan Mahanta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To:
"Anjan K. Nath" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
"Rajib Das" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent:
Sunday, December 05, 2004 7:12 PM
>Subject: Re: [Assam] Include
UK in talks, says ULFA
>
>>At 8:04 AM -0800 12/6/04,
Anjan K. Nath wrote:
>>>And while the British are here can
we ask them to re-align the map
>>>of India so that we get
back what is now Pakistan and
Bangladesh.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>O'
Anjan:
>>
>>Eh ki kwahe tumi? Nijor naak kati
xotinir jatra bhongo koribo
>>kujase neki
he'?
>>
>>Would you really want to have, in a
healthy body and in sound mind,
>>B'desh or Pakistan
back
?
>>
>>sondon.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>-----
Original Message ----- From: "Rajib Das" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>To:
"Chan Mahanta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>Cc:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>Sent:
Friday, December 03, 2004 6:10 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Assam]
Include UK in talks, says
ULFA
>>>
>>>>
>>>>Why UK?
Why not Bangaldesh? They understand
ULFA
>>>>best!!!!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>---
Ujjal Pathak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>who is
ULFA?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>On
Thu, 2 Dec 2004 09:13:44 -0600, Chan
Mahanta
>>>>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>>>>>> One person's view: It makes a
lot of
sense!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
The British not only knew Assam's history
better,
>>>>>it helped
create
>>>>>> it. They also were more
earnest about Assam's
>>>>>welfare than the
Indian
>>>>>> govts. have been. Even today,
Indian Govt.
>>>>>operatives in Assam or
its
>>>>>> policy makers setting Assam's
destiny ( by and
>>>>>large--I know
there
>>>>>> are exceptions) have little,
if any real knowledge
>>>>>of
Assam's
>>>>>> conditions, its history,and
its needs, nor do they
>>>>>have any
respect
>>>>>> for Assam's
rights.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
I think it was very apt for ULFA to seek UK's
good
>>>>>offices in
finding
>>>>>> a political solution to this
never ending
>>>>>conflict. I hope they
would
>>>>>> actively seek the UK's
participation and
succeed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
cm
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
Include UK in talks, says
ULFA
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1132018,000900030004.htm
>>>>>
>
>>>>>> In what could only worsen the
deadlock between the
>>>>>United
Liberation
>>>>>> Front of Asom (ULFA) and
the government, the
>>>>>militant group has
put
>>>>>> another condition for talks with
the Union
>>>>>government, demanding
that
>>>>>> the United Kingdom should also
be called upon to
>>>>>take part in
the
>>>>>> proposed negotiations "whenever
they take
place".
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
As surprising as it may seem, this according
to
>>>>>the ULFA
was
>>>>>> necessary as "the British have
more knowledge
>>>>>about the history
of
>>>>>> Assam than the Indian
government".
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
Putting forward their argument,
ULFA
>>>>>commander-in-chief Paresh
Barua
>>>>>> told the local media last
night that Assam was not
>>>>>a part of
India
>>>>>> until the last Ahom king,
Purandar Singha, was
>>>>>forced to sign
the
>>>>>> Yandabu Treaty by the British in
1826.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
"As it was the British who annexed Assam to
the
>>>>>Indian union,
putting
>>>>>> an end to the
six-hundred-year rule of the Ahoms,
>>>>>it is
imperative
>>>>>> that the ruling British
government be present in
>>>>>the discussion
on
>>>>>> Assam's sovereignty," Barua
said.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
Asked about their stand on "sovereignty"
Barua
>>>>>said that the ULFA
had
>>>>>> not compromised the issue. Talks
with the
>>>>>government, he said,
would
>>>>>> now be possible only if the
government agreed to
>>>>>their demand
on
>>>>>> involving the UK. He said his
organisation
>>>>>continue fighting till
its
>>>>>> objective "sovereignty" was
achieved.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
The ULFA leader's statement came hours
after
>>>>>Jnanpith Award
winner
>>>>>> and professor of Delhi
University Dr Indira
>>>>>Goswami told the
media
>>>>>> during here last evening that
she was hopeful that
>>>>>effort to
bring
>>>>>> the ULFA and the Central
government would be
>>>>>fruitful.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
Dr Goswami has been in touch with the
ULFA
>>>>>leadership for quite
some
>>>>>> time now, in her effort to
bring the militants to
>>>>>the
negotiating
>>>>>> table. She, however,
declined to comment on the
>>>>>ULFA's
sovereignty
>>>>>>
demand.
>>>>>>
_______________________________________________
>>>>>>
Assam mailing list
>>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>>>
http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
Mailing list FAQ:
>>>>>> http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html
>>>>>>
To unsubscribe or change options:
>>>>>> http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
>>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>Assam
mailing
list
>>>>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>>http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam
>>>>>
>>>>>Mailing
list
FAQ:
>>>>>http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html
>>>>>To
unsubscribe or change
options:
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>__________________________________
>>>>Do
you Yahoo!?
>>>>Dress up your holiday email, Hollywood
style. Learn
more.
>>>>http://celebrity.mail.yahoo.com
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mailing
list
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>>>>
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list
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