>People have been crying hoarse over these for decades.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 7:53
PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] The meek shall be
homeless -II
Dear BK:
>I find it is hardly
necessary to respond to Chandan's observations point by point.
*** I understand. People have a pretty good idea by now about who would
view my observations in what light, regardless of content :-).
>Acccording to my understanding
he is making an effort to generate awareness among the people so
that everyone of >us does his or her civic duties and carry out the
responsibilities entrusted upon us and above all, abide by the law in
>doing so. Perhaps such an appeal is late in the day, but better late
than never.
*** Of course it is never too late to stand up for what is right. However
what I take issue with is the implication that these are things heretofore
unbeknownst to the people of Assam. It just so happens that nothing could be
further from the truth. People have been crying hoarse over these for
decades.
>I don't think he
advocates an armed struggle to achieve the desired goal. He clearly wants
a peaceful revolution within >the law. If my reading is incorrect, perhaps
we may democratically decide the issue by asking DNB for a
clarification.
*** I don't think that would really be necessary. I just made the point
to underscore the naivete expressed and absence of substance in the article,
Ram's perceptions to its greatness notwithstanding.
>It is correct that our
democracy has not functioned the way it should. But Chandan himself agrees
that parliamentary >democracy has within itself built-in mechanism to
correct itself.
*** You make it sound like I have conceded the point under duress, forced
to admit it kicking and screaming :-). But that has been the main point of my
arguments on this matter, as it has been for years in Assam Net: the
dysfunctional state of the essential institutions of democracy in the
desi-avatar and the dire need for radical reforms.
>The other day I heard somebody
saying that we criticise our parliamentarians vehemently but have the people
ever >recalled a single one of them? They do change though at the end of
their tenure.
*** Of course the players change. But does anything change in
governance, in its performance? And if not, why not? Should that not raise a
red flag in the minds of people who can reason?
>They do change though at the end of their tenure. I think it
was Rabindranath Tagore who said that the person who >gives bribe is
equally guilty as the taker of it. The unholy alliance between the
constituency and the politician has to >break.
*** So the bribe giver is equally guilty now, because Robi Thakur said
so? I really don't give two hoots about WHO said those wise words, but
corruption
comes out of power. Those who have no power cannot exercise the same
degree of corruption as those in power can. Yes, if there were effective and
reliable recourse, then one could argue that bribe giver is equally guilty as
the bribe seeker. But knowing what we do, this argument is patently
untenable.
>What is a society? Who are the
people? It is you and me.
*** Aah, the "we are all guilty--so can't we just forgive and forget?"
argument!
But it is not a persuasive one.
>t is you and me. Whether it be
an ULFA leader or Congress/BJP leader, they will have to work with the same
public and >the same bureacracy.
*** That is the big flaw in the argument. No, a reformed governmental
system will NOT have to deal with the same old, same old. That is the whole
idea behind reforms. The AGP failed because they did not realize where the
problem lies--in the flawed system. It me must be reformed, otherwise there
will be no change, no matter who is at the wheel.
>Are the ULFA or for that any
other insurgency leaders that great, dynamic, honest capable of leading
the country to >peace and prosperity?
*** I am not in a position to speak on behalf of the ULFA. But
those who are ready to sacrifice their lives in defence of a goal, one might
think, might be smart enough to realize that if they get power, they must not
follow the same defective and dysfunctional ways of desi-demokrasy. That they
must put in place something better.
>Perhaps they can but we do not
have any evidence of it.
*** Well, ever wondered why :-)? But what about the evidence of all those
administrations that have come and gone? What does that tell us? What
proof does that hold up?
>Personally I believe in the
powers and possibilities of a soveregin country provided it has the right
leadership.
*** Fair enough. But if it is that simple, that things are as they are
because there are no good leaders, then should it mean that there is no escape
from how things are, that it is inevitable, that it is pre-ordained, engraved
in Indian foreheads in accordance to Hindu mythology and fate shall play out,
regardless?
>Some of the little countries
have prospered beyond our dream.
*** What is their secret? Should we not explore that? Perhaps there are
lessons to be learnt. Perhaps we ought to look at Singapore? They too
were a British colony, just like India. Should I ask, like our illustrious
Assam Net intellectuals___why can't India be like Singapore? Because Indians
are lazy and corrupt, is that why?
>At the same time an armed
struggle against the Government of India to achieve social and economic
salvation would >be unwise as it will bring in more death and
destruction.
*** Armed struggle is NOT the CAUSE, it is an effect. Had there been a
functioning democracy where the rulers could be expected to be responsive, and
could be held accountable, more than likely armed struggle would not have
happened. It happened because people had no alternative left.
Regards,
c
At 1:18 PM -0400 4/24/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Dear
Netters
I
find it is hardly necessary to respond to Chandan's observations point
by point. Yes, DNB has not worked out how to fix the problem/s. Acccording
to my understanding he is making an effort to generate awareness
among the people so that everyone of us does his or her civic
duties and carry out the responsibilities entrusted upon us and above all,
abide by the law in doing so. Perhaps such an appeal is late in the
day, but better late than never.
I
don't think he advocates an armed struggle to achieve the desired goal.
He clearly wants a peaceful revolution within the law. If my reading is
incorrect, perhaps we may democratically decide the issue by asking DNB for
a clarification. Alternatively, let's have a poll among ourselves, as what
matters is whether independent of the author's own views, the impression we
get from a reading of the piece is ambivalent.
It is
correct that our democracy has not functioned the way it should. But Chandan
himself agrees that parliamentary democracy has within itself built-in
mechanism to correct itself. The other day I heard somebody saying that
we criticise our parliamentarians vehemently but have the people ever
recalled a single one of them? They do change though at the end of their
tenure. I think it was Rabindranath Tagore who said that the person who
gives bribe is equally guilty as the taker of it. The unholy alliance
between the constituency and the politician has to break.
What
is a society? Who are the people? It is you and me. Whether it be an ULFA
leader or Congress/BJP leader, they will have to work with the same public
and the same bureacracy. Are the ULFA or for that any other insurgency
leaders that great, dynamic, honest capable of leading the country to
peace and prosperity? Perhaps they can but we do not have any evidence of
it. Personally I believe in the powers and possibilities of a soveregin
country provided it has the right leadership. Some of the little countries
have prospered beyond our dream. At the same time an armed struggle against
the Government of India to achieve social and economic salvation would be
unwise as it will bring in more death and destruction.
Bhuban
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