The issue of bandhs in Assam, and the general public apathy toward them have been discussed in the net sometime back.
Here is a letter from a resident of Guwahati, which tells us how some people are actually voicing the same kind of opinions like some of NRAs. When we discussed these issues, we were roundly criticized for laying the responsibility on the People. I am glad more & more people in Assam are voicing strong disapprovals of bandhs. --Ram __________________________ Enough of Bandhs The partially successful bandh of April 21, 2005 sums up the morass into which Assamese society as a whole has fallen. While any injustice should always be opposed by all permissible means of democratic protest, I am appalled at the way most Assamese respond to bandh calls, by even the most unknown of organizations, for even the most ridiculous of reasons. It is an utter disgrace to think there have been five successful bandhs in the State this year, but it is a mute testimony of the sloth that has crept into us, of how we have come to accept bandhs as a holiday and how we totally ignore the consequences of a day wasted. It speaks volumes for our indolence and ignorance and the division within the ranks of our society, which allow organizations and political parties to get away with bandh calls while we shrug our shoulders and refuse to give a damn about being taken for a ride. We only have ourselves to blame for allowing those responsible to literally get away with murder by wasting our time and money and making a mockery of our lives by deciding how and what we can and cannot do on the day of the bandh. I also fail to understand why responsible newspapers like The Sentinel carry calls for bandhs when there are more important and meaningful news to carry. For example, on April 21, 2005, while there was a news item regarding the bandh, there was absolutely no mention of the fact that on that day, India has overtaken South Africa as the country with the highest number of HIV positive cases in the world. Subhankar Das, 1, Lachitnagar, Bharalupar, Guwahati. _______________________________________________ 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
