No state in America is demanding to get away. If it did, there would be a problem that will need to be addressed. For example, no one in New York is making claims that the USA is undermining their identity or working actively working toward destroying the New York identity and culture and hence seeking independence or sovereignty. If ten out of 50 states of the USA did, there would be a problem that would need solving.
Many in Assam and the Northeast and Kashmir have been clamoring for sovereignty, independence, autonomy and the like precisely because of an historical sense of independence, national pride and lately because of fears of loss of identity being inundated with enormous outside influences in terms of change of demographics, stealing of resources, undue and all-encompassing outside cultural and other forces. Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of people have died, billions of rupees have been spent to address the issues in ways that have not yielded solution. The demands for autonomy, sovereignty or independence have survived for 50-60 or more years. So, it's a real problem unlike that we find in the USA. It's a clash of nations--India vs. Assam Nation, India vs. Manipur Nation, India vs. Kashmir Nation, etc. Being militarily strong India has won so far. But, continued military solution is counter-productive for everyone. So, the problem needs to be addressed afresh, in an out-of-the box kind of manner, in uncoventional ways examining why past law-and-order, army-based solutions have failed again and again. If the Assam Nation or Manipur Nation or Kashmir Nation was coerced or duped or just made a part of modern India without consultation, or even they willed before for inclusion but now they have been seeking re-examination of the status-quo for 30-40-50 years, there is merit to such demands and they shouldn't be treated as some rustics or ignorants or children or some people who don't know what's best for them. The point is India has not succeeded in making many within its current borders part and parcel of itself despite having them within its borders for 50+ years. So, I don't see a problem in analyzing the current situation and seeing things need to be corrected.
Jugal Kalita
On Friday, December 10, 2004, at 04:46 PM, umesh sharma wrote:
Jugal-da,<image.tiff>
�
I beg to differ from you. You speak as if Indian nation is composed of one race and one language - I may remind you that India is NOT USA -in that sense.
�
Each state has its own grouse, since each is different. Even "rich" Punjab had its grouse -and the insurgents raised their head. Rajasthan is thirsting for water and Punjab doesn't want to give any.
�
In USA too so many states have their grouses. I'm told Alabama still flies the Confederate flag etc
�
Infact each village and each house and each family has its grouses. In the family each member has grouses.
�
Does it mean that we all cut away from each other?
�
Umesh
J Kalita <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
So Rajiv, before you blame the ULFA and the demand for sovereignty for
all ills, reflect and
see what Indian rule to Assam has wrought. It has brought the Assam
Nation to almost decimation. Part of that is
the fault of those who constitute the Assam Nation, but I believe most
of the reasons for the decimation of the
Assam Nation identity lies with actions (such as division of Assam,
encouraging insurgency when it suits
its purpose, making Assam youth kill each other by creating SULFA and
arming them, not stopping immigration from Bangladesh, encouraging
immigration from India, steeping Assam in the corruption mode imitating
oBihar and other Indian states, use of a repressive Hindi-speaking
Army, complete cultural domination by Hindi media/entertainment leading
to a lack of respect for and opportunities in the native languages, and
a complete lack of concern for the survival of identity of the
constituents of the Assam Nation, etc.) of the supremely powerful
Indian Government compared to the current powers of the Assam Nation.
The Indian Government simply doesn't care and actually would like to
accelerate the destruction of the Assam identity so that Indian
identity can flourish. I am completely opposed to this goal of the
Indian Nation and that is why I ask for sovereignty of the Assam
Nation. Let the Indian Nation show goodwill, then I will reciprocate.
If you are a mouthpiece of the Indian Nation, tell me what it has done
and will do for the benefit of the Assam Nation!
Please be balanced on your views regarding sovereignty of the Assam
Nation. It is necessary for our survival. If you don't feel that you
are an interested party in the survival, growth and continued
flourishing of the Assam Nation, you don't understand the problem and
you are not qualified to talk on behalf of the Assam Nation.
Jugal Kalita
Colorado
On Friday, December 10, 2004, at 01:02 AM, Rajib Das wrote:
> Fair enough! There are enough rants against India
> happening anyway on this board.
>
> But the questions I have asked in this post - about
> their idealogy, the definitiveness of their vision -
> are these pertinent or are these rants?
>
> I am not a fan of the Indian bureacracy. In the years
> since the first promises of revolutions in our region,
> however, much has changed. People in other regions
> somehow have seized the moment and moved forward -
> inspite of what some may call a debilitating system.
> We have remained mired in old shibboleths. Our local
> leadership within the Indian system and without (in
> equal measure) is devoid of any vision. And yet, there
> is never much serious discussion on it.
>
> Almost as if this "sovereignity" thing is a sacred god
> in itself. Or for the rest of us a false god!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- J Kalita wrote:
>
>> Rajib,
>>
>> Why do you keep on ranting against the ULFA only?
>> You should rant
>> against the Indian Army who kill and torture
>> innocents in large numbers
>> and Indian bureaucrats (the establishment) who are
>> mostly all corrupt
>> to the bone in the same breath to have any semblance
>> of reasonableness
>> in your writings.
>>
>> Jugal
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, December 9, 2004, at 06:36 PM, Rajib
>> Das wrote:
>>
>>>> And ULFA was NOT 'discredited' when it emerged.
>> Even
>>>> now it is
>>>> discredited only in certain circles. ULFA could
>> not
>>>
>>> "Certain circles" indeed! Innocent civilians
>> bombed
>>> out and the level of extortion and the money
>> hoarded
>>> in Bangladesh are somewhat universal yardsticks
>> for
>>> defining discredited or not.
>>>
>>> In any case we are talking about the future and
>> the
>>> system for it. Not about what ULFA was 20 years
>> back.
>>> About what it is today and what it is capable of
>>> tommorow versus what the current system is today
>> and
>>> what it is capable of tomorrow.
>>>
>>> So what is the verdict on the following about ULFA
>> AS
>>> THINGS STAND TODAY:
>>> a. Its capability to define the "sovereign" nation
>> it
>>> is fighting for
>>> b. Its capability or defined vision in terms of
>> how it
>>> will govern the sovereign nation in a way that is
>>> fundamentally better than what it is today?
>>> c. Its defined idealogy and the committment of its
>>> cadre to its idealogy?.
>>> d. Its capability to wage war "successfully"
>>> e. And to cut it short, its record of respecting
>>> people's opinion?
>>>
>>> Then there is the small point about whether it
>> does
>>> indeed represent the sovereign nation it has
>> defined
>>> for itself?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> __________________________________
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>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________
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> The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free!
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>
>
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