Hi A:
That was a valiant effort on your part to have attempted to
inform the Indian Express of Dr. Goswami's reputation and
achievements. But it was redundant.
That was NOT really the problem here like I pointed out earlier,
but registered on my peers as my SPIN :-).
The Indian press has been falling all over themselves in noting
Dr. Goswami's literary achievements and her academic standing, like
they have the propensity for all things that require little
intellectual exercise.They are very perceptive of the obvious. So we
can be quite certain that the Indian Express knows all about Dr.
Goswami's credentials.
The problem lies in the paper's inability to see the substance of
Dr. Goswami's effort. They see it as a "novel-writer"
messing with serious subjects like a military victory that they see as
the solution to the Assam rebellion.
The Indian Express, like so many other desis, resident and
non-resident alike, cannot fathom the futility of 25 years' bloodshed
that successive Indian Govts perpetuated seeking a military victory to
quash a political movement, albeit an armed one.
Naturally, all the rag could see was a meddling by Dr. Goswami,
the "novel-writer". I was surprised the adjective they must
have had a hard time suppressing preceding
"novel-writer".
I can't wait to see some 'security analyst' proposing raising the
rewards now for Assamese heads to the bounty hunters in the Indian
Army officers' ranks. Would you ask N how that reflects on the honour
of the much touted "professionalism" of the Indian
armed forces? Professional they are alright : Professional
bounty hunters that is.
Oh our 'ten thousand year old' civilization!
c-da.
At 10:14 PM -0600 12/17/04, Alpana B. Sarangapani wrote:
What I too, did not like was the sarcastic and subtle but condescending comment about Dr. Goswami by the writer (editor?) from the Indian Express.
"....what she does best: writing novels"
What are they saying: just "writing novels"? Do they even know that she is a professor at University of Delhi, a Jnanpith award winner and a great research scholar? They just don't know it or advertently neglected to mention that.
I sent my comments. And of course, it was not published. As 'true journalism', 'writer not doing his/her homework to know enough about Dr. Goswami', etc. was there.
>From: Rajib Das <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Bartta Bistar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [Assam] Indian press belittles Dr. Indira Goswami's mission onAssam.
>Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 15:04:51 -0800 (PST)
>
>I am in complete agreement with Chandanda's comments.
>We have a dumb government that goes with policies that
>have not yielded results.
>
>Ditto goes for the polity's tolerance of ULFA and such
>like groupings.
>
>Years of them wrecking irreparable havoc on the
>populace at large and the economic infrastructure of
>the state, looting and extortion of common masses,
>capital fleeing or not coming to the states, killing
>of civilians - and yet some amongst us would rather
>hand over power to them in a platter.
>
>Liberation armies need to be accountable too - and the
>ULFA's book of accounts is so messed up, the board of
>directors should summarily close down the company.
>
>Liberation armies (and governments in waiting) need to
>be transparent as well. Are they? And I am not just
>talking of the monies.
>
>In net essence, the Indian Express is saying just
>that!
>
>What we have is a piquant situation - a dumb
>government and a dumb liberator! What we do not have
>is a choice.
>
>
>
>--- Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Dear BB:
> >
> > >Indian press belittles Dr. Indira Goswami's mission
> > on Assam.
> >
> >
> >
> > *** I am not sure that is what it means.
> >
> > What it really means is that a large segment of
> > the Indian intelligentsia, including us NRAs and
> > NRIs, are unable to learn from their mistakes and
> > experiences. The Indian govt. is a glaring
> > example, having demonstrated time and again since
> > independence, that sticking to ways that produce
> > proven bad results, over and over again, would
> > somehow ultimately bring the results of their
> > desire.
> >
> > *** Part of this inability and unwillingness to
> > dig out of the rut they mire themselves into, is
> > the absence is feedback of the polity.
> >
> > Another reason is the complete absence of
> > transparency in governance. It is true even in
> > the private sector business that a number of our
> > neo-conservative friends like to tout as the
> > poster boys of a reformed India.
> >
> >
> > Some examples:
> >
> > If the Indian polity had any awareness of what it
> > has cost India
> > to wage war in Kashmir and in Assam and the
> > NE for as long as it
> > has, without any solution in sight, and
> > what that cost the
> > nation in terms of development and
> > progress; in a more mature nations
> > there would have been revolutions.
> >
> > If the lives that were lost in these wars came from
> > the families of the
> > decision -makers in government and from the
> > intellectual class that
> > pass judgement on these issues, can you
> > imagine it would have
> > continued for as long?
> >
> > Everyone complains about the scourge of the huge
> > "black sector" of the
> > economy that is the hall-mark of the Indian private
> > sector. If the
> > polity had an idea how it is running society down
> > an ever descending
> > spiral, do you think it could continue? And
> > if the polity really did
> > care, could the ruling class remain as
> > apathetic of it, claiming,
> > "--what can we do?"
> >
> > If accountability and responsibility of those in
> > authority meant
> > anything, do you think this could happen?
> > Can the Indian Express
> > spout such garbage while the intelligentsia
> > remains a mute spectator,
> > clueless? But what do you expect, when even
> > our best and brightest
> > cannot see what are black and white issues
> > and paint them all in
> > shades of murky grey---terming it everybody's
> > fault, and thus there
> > is no escape, not now, not ever?
> >
> >
> > Sanjib Baruah once asked here in Assam Net, that
> > would be appropriate to ask again:
> >
> >
> > If you are a top business executive--a CEO of a
> > publicly held top flight corporation, who is held
> > accountable for performance by its shareholders,
> > would you continue to pursue failed policies
> > decade after decade?
> >
> > Obviously you would not. You would change course.
> > Seek answers that could bring desired results.
> >
> > But look at Indian governance. And India's gift
> > to journalistic excellence--the Indian Express,
> > preaching what it is preaching.
> >
> >
> > cm
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > At 7:02 AM +0000 12/16/04, Bartta Bistar wrote:
> > >Assam’s curse
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> ><http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=60896>http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=60896
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >[Assam has once again witnessed a spate of bomb
> > >attacks designed to remind the authorities that
> > >a year after the Bhutan operations to bust ULFA
> > >bases on its territory, the terrorist outfit is
> > >alive and thriving. The blasts should, indeed,
> > >come as a reminder to New Delhi — a reminder of
> > >the nature of the beast it confronts in Assam’s
> > >hinterland.
> > >
> > >The UPA government has proved far too soft in
> > >its approach to the ULFA. Its attempts to be
> > >sensitive to militant groups wishing to make
> > >peace has been read as a sign of weakness and
> > >the sooner New Delhi disabuses the ULFA of this
> > >perception, the better. Prime Minister Manmohan
> > >Singh’s recent offer of unconditional talks
> > >elicited the demand for a plebiscite on the
> > >issue of Assam’s “sovereignty” from the outfit.
> > >Then there was the extraordinary spectacle of
> > >noted Assamese writer, Indira Goswami, urging
> > >New Delhi to engage with the ULFA. Within hours,
> > >the group made it clear that they wanted the
> > >prime minister, no less, to invite them for
> > >talks that should include the sovereignty
> > >question. The ULFA’s self-styled
> > >commander-in-chief, Paresh Barua, even asserted
> > >that when he raised the demand for sovereignty,
> > >he was speaking for the entire people of Assam.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >The fact is that the ULFA is nothing by a bunch
> > >of thugs who think nothing of killing and
> > >maiming the innocent. Even children are not
> > >exempt from their terror project as the
> > >Independence Day attack on a school proved to
> > >the world. These militants need to realise now,
> > >more than ever, that time has run out on them.
> > >Not only did Bhutan conduct a courageous and
> > >decisive military operation against them, other
> > >countries in the region, like Myanmar, could
> > >follow suit. Even Bangladesh is under immense
> > >international pressure to withdraw the
> > >hospitality that it had once extended to them.
> > >The tactic of calibrated bomb blasts has only
> > >roused fear and revulsion in the mind of the
> > >ordinary Assamese. New Delhi should not be taken
> > >in by the occasional offer of talks from the
> > >outfit. Instead, its security forces need to
> > >adopt a more pro-active strategy. As for
> > >
> > >Indira Goswami, we would urge her to stick to
> > >what she does best: writing novels.]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Don't just search. Find.
> > ><http://g.msn.com/8HMAEN/2746??PS=47575>MSN
> > >Search Check out the new MSN Search!
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
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