And in my not-so-humble opinion, in this case, is where your usual spin comes in. In the questions you frame.
It is your opinion that reform is possible ONLY through a sovereign or autonomous government in Assam. Not in negotiating or forcing peace. Not in having a economic plan that can deliver jobs. Not in regenerating local bureacracy that can administer well. Not in the way the central government approaches the problems of the northeast. As things stand today, that is your opinion, not the absolute truth. That is the first question that people should be polled on. This sovereign government thing is not some nebulous entity. Each such government is symbolized by people/parties that lead and their agenda. It is not faceless. It is in these "faces" that people impose faith or reject. Or the ones that all the well meaning NRAs will look at and decide whether to go back to Assam or not. Which is why the second question should be about going back in situations where alternative "faces" of the government and their agenda are known. And that is why the questions need to be framed differently. Unless it is yet another acitivity to feel happy about hearing what one wants to hear. If someone wishes any such exercise to be an honest one, he or she will take the pains to make sure the right questions are asked. Incidentally, most people that I know, from different parts of India that are going back - and there are quite a few of my friends and peers from across India that are - are going back primarily for one reason - India presents a better economic opportunity at this point. Many in the IT industry will save more in absolute dollar terms, have a better quality of life and stay near their families in India. It is a no-brainer for them. A few folks I know from Assam are also going back. They are heading towards Bangalore or Chennai or Mumbai, not Guwahati. Well, it stands to reason that if Guwahati were moving forward economically like these other cities, they might just as well be heading towards Guwahati. Not because of the call from Tarun Gogoi or Arabinda Rajkhowa but perhaps from Azim Premji. I am sure the businessmen love the ULFA and the idea of paying double taxes. I am sure the people like paying extortion money as double taxes and see their taxes not used for bettering civic life but fill some coffers in Bangladesh. Perhaps a whole lot of people are looking forward towards the sovereign government of ULFA. At this point, frankly the chances of that happening are perhaps more remote than finding life on Uranus. Still it is a good point to poll on in AssamNet:-) Like I said the question is about a reform-minded (if you want) sovereign government under ULFA versus a reform-minded, economically focused government with peace in Assam and very much connected to India. And that is where the record of ULFA, their agenda for governance, their ability to win the war, bring peace and hold it, their depth and ability in getting Assam on a good economic plan (and perhaps with India breathing down their neck) etc will come into scrutiny. Are you afraid of the answers here? Or do you want to do an exercise to hear your own voice? Oh yes, when you do this poll (and whichever way the polls are answered), please also remember whatever are the answers that represents only the NRAs of AssamNet. Not Assam - it does not even have a normalized sample of folks from Assam. To get that exhaustive poll, I refer you back again to that 65% achieved a few years back in the last general election:-) --- Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > At 2:32 PM -0800 2/4/05, Rajib Das wrote: > >In Market Research, the right questions need to be > >framed in the right manner in a poll to get the > >correct picture of things. > > > >In this particular set of questions, the last > >question, obviously, is quite out of place. > Instead, > >IMHO, it should read as follows: > > > *** In my not-so-humble view, that is not what I was > interested in finding out. > If that is Rajib Das' marketing need he is free to > do his own poll. > My marketing need is to establish if reforms are > sought by the Assam > Diaspora. And since reforms are not possible under > the current > system, regardless of which party is in power, the > only alternative > would be a reform minded autonomous or sovereign > Assam govt. > > If ULFA is involved in such a govt. ( and why not?), > they are so few > in number ( isn't that what we are told?) then they > would need others > to govern. So it could not be just the ULFA, but > others as well. If > there are plenty of ULFA to govern, even then they > would need to get > a lot of others on board. > > > That incidentally would not at all be an issue to be > worried about. > ULFA supporters would come out of the wood-works > then, including the > entire business community, heh-heh. Even those who > have sworn to > leave Assam might reconsider. > > Would anyone dispute that? > > Question therefore is IF Assam ex-pats would join > ULFA and/or others > that might form a sovereign or autonomous Assam > govt. and give them a > hand, if they are asked. > > My gut feel is YES, they would. Even those who swear > against the ULFA > now. And that is exactly why some would not want a > poll taken on the > question. > > > cm > > > > > > >" > >4: Would you return , temporarily or permanently, > >should a newly formed govt. (of whatever kind) > under > >ULFA asks for your help in re-building ? > > > >Yes----- No----- > >" > > > >This frames the choice of ULFA leadership versus > >Congress or AGP or BJP. > > > >Another way of framing the questions would be as > >follows: > > > >" > >1. Would you return , temporarily or permanently, > >should a situation emerge where Assam gains peace, > a > >new clean and responsible leadership emerges and > >Government of India / Assam initiate a plan for > >regeneration of economy in Assam? > >Yes----- No----- > > > >2: Would you return , temporarily or permanently, > >should ULFA form a new of an SOVEREIGN Assam and > asks > >for your help in re-building ? > > > >Yes----- No----- > >" > >In this case, there are 2 obvious options - the > >current form of governance with a new leadership > and > >serious focus on economic development versus the > >agenda of ULFA for a sovereign nation what the > agenda > >might be. It pits India vs. ULFA. > > > >This is a good poll for the Net. > > > >As for the people of Assam they voted in the last > >elections (and looks like more than 60 or 65% > voted) > >without coercion. They voted for an election under > >Indian government. > > > > > >> >> Hi Jugal: > >> >> > >> >> Kamal's question re-ignited a curiosity that > I > >> have had for some time. > >> >> > >> >> Would it be appropriate to poll assam.org > >> visitors asking: > >> >> > >> >> 1: Would you return, temporarily or > permanently, > >> should the Congress Govt. > >> >> asks for your help in re-building Assam? > >> >> > >> >> Yes----- No----- > >> >> > >> >> 2: Would you return , temporarily or > >> permanently, should an AGP Govt. > >> >> asks for your help in re-building Assam? > >> >> > >> >> Yes----- No----- > >> >> > >> >> 2: Would you return , temporarily or > >> permanently, should a BJP Govt. > >> >> asks for your help in re-building Assam? > >> >> > >> >> Yes----- No----- > >> >> > >> >> 4: Would you return , temporarily or > >> permanently, should a newly formed > >> >> democratic govt. of an AUTONOMOUS or > >> SOVEREIGN Assam asks for your > >> >> help in re-building ? > >> >> > >> >> Yes----- No----- > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> If you think the questions have any merit, > you > >> can re-phrase the questions > >> >to a > >> >> more suitable format as you see fit. Or if > >> Netters have other > >> >> suggestions, incorporating such. > > > >> > >> >> > >> >> c-da > >> >> > _______________________________________________ > >> >> Assam mailing list > >> >> Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > >> >> > 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 > >> Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > >> 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 > >> > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________ > >Do you Yahoo!? > >Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. 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