Rajib, > I am also assuming that those who consider Singapore a > role model are emphasising economic improvement not > political freedom, aren't we?
You brought up some salient points. In fact, so salient, that it goes to the heart of many of our discussions on independence & autonomy. Those who are seeking independence are outwardly saying its political freedom, but inwardly, they would mix everything up and hanker for a Singapore or Taiwan. Any why the disconnect? If people demanded economic freedom, or prosperity, they would in turn be asked: What is your contribution to this effort?, What have you done so far? They would have no answer. Ah! but frame it as something different, like 'political freedom' or ethinic freedom, and all of a sudden, they have reached the likes of Gandhi or Mandela. They now can try and get the big powers, the UN etc to intervene and set up parleys. The Palestinian issue, the Kasmiri issue or any of our NE groups. Their goals are economics & wealth, but message sent out is ethinicity or 'culturally different'. This farce cannot go on. People who are so ardent about Assam's independence (or autonomy) should come out with logical, cohesive, concise language as to the definitions, who are they seeking to free, what it entails, what it costs, what are the plans, and what kind of system of governance will they have in this Sangrilla. Otherwise, all this amounts to very little. --Ram On 5/19/05, Rajib Das <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I wonder why some folks think curtailing of rights is > ok with India (or Assam) and not ok when GW Bush goes > around brandishing the Patriots Act in the country > they live in! > > If we are to going by Singapore's model, if they can > whip a boy for spray painting, I wonder what they > would do to "boys" that brandish guns and kill others. > Incidentally also I hear (in whispers in Singapore), > the original dictator of Singapore Lee Kwan Yew > controls more than 50% of available real estate in > Singapore. > > Further, since we are talking Singapore, it is a tiny > little country in peril. The biggest problem they face > is they don't know how to remain relevant in an age > where giants in its neighbourhood have woken up - even > Malaysia gives them the shivers when right across the > sea Malaysia offers port facilities at one third the > price. Their solution to the problem is the leader of > the country going on TV to dictate to the citizens to > "think laterally". New business ideas, technologies or > even great artists are not exactly born in Singapore. > Giving the example of Singapore in these times is > somewhat of a joke. In 50 years time it will go back > to being the dirty port it was unless someone > discovers a way to make itself relevant again. > > I am also assuming that those who consider Singapore a > role model are emphasising economic improvement not > political freedom, aren't we? So is that what is the > core of the problem in Assam or are we changing tune > again? > > Also there is Lee Kwan Yew's Singapore. And then there > is Idi Amin's Uganda and Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. It > becomes a credible point for discussion if we are > somehow to determine who exactly is going to be > Assam's Lee Kwan Yew. At this point the potential > candidates are limited and to an extent we understand > their capabilities. > > Since this person would not exactly be chosen by the > complete, unfettered free will of the people of Assam, > what are the chances we would land up with an Idi Amin > instead of a Lee Kwan Yew? My bet is with the former. > > > > > > --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > C'da > > > > > Are you getting into the Texas shhotiong from the > > hip mode too? > > > > Yup! we Texans shoot first, ask questions later :-) > > > > You are right, must have confused Singapore to some > > other country. > > Asides that, though the facts still remain., ie > > solutions that work in > > Singapore may not work for country like India, > > specially the > > curtailing of 'rights' part. > > > > The closest we came to something like that was > > during Indira's > > emergency. Few liked it, and during those 2 years, > > India actually lost > > productivity (I read this some years ago, could be > > wrong) > > > > >That is why those who want to govern themselves > > better ought to be > > able to do >so, as either smaller independent units > > or truly > > autonomous smaller entities-- >like Assam. > > > > I agree with you on the autonomous part. Though, I > > am not sure if the > > 'govern' part will work well for some states (like > > Bihar). Maybe, > > autonomy should be given in small portions, and see > > how it works. > > > > You know, 'give a man enough rope, and he will hang > > himself' shouldn't > > be the motto. Autonomy for the sake of better > > goveranace, I agree, but > > NOT autonomy for autonomy's sake. > > > > --Ram > > > > > > > > On 5/19/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Ram: > > > > > > Are you getting into the Texas shhotiong from the > > hip mode too? > > > > > > >-- its a country by itself and is ruled basically > > by a dictator. > > > > > > Look up: > > http://www.travelblog.org/World/sn-gov.html > > > > > > Singapore is a Pariliamentary Republic, with the > > President, the CEO, elected > > > democratically. The Parliament is too. > > > > > > > > > You also complained that Singapore is very > > small--thus not fair to compare it > > > with India. Well, duh! Why do you think some of us > > have been attempting to > > > explain, to no avail, that India's size and > > diversity is an impediment to its > > > governance and its progress. That is why those > > who want to govern > > > themselves better ought to be able to do so, as > > either smaller independent > > > units or truly autonomous smaller entities-- like > > Assam. And in areas where > > > size is an advantage, they can have treaties, such > > as for trade, or defense, as > > > a federation. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Date: 2005/05/19 Thu AM 01:42:00 EDT > > > > To: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > CC: Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > > > > Subject: Re: [Assam] It takes a village > > > > > > > > KJD, > > > > > > > > In the case of Singapore, its a country by > > itself and is ruled > > > > basically by a dictator. Thus the government is > > answerable to itself, > > > > and people have no rights, and bureaucracy is > > cut-short. > > > > > > > > As for Guwahati, the size may be small compared > > to a Singapore, but > > > > the City is answerable in some capacity to the > > the DC, the GOA, which > > > > in turn to the GOI. > > > > > > > > Its not as if the mayor of Guwahati can rule > > with an iron fist to > > > > enforce cleaniness. > > > > In Singapore even chewing gum is banned (so I > > have heard). Do you > > > > think its possible for the mayor, the CM, > > Governor or even the PM ban > > > > tamul-paan chewing? > > > > > > > > --Ram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 5/18/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sarangapani, > > > > > > > > > > What disadvantage does the city of Guwahati > > have ,in terms of size,which > > > > > renders it to remain so unclean? I wonder!! > > > > > > > > > > KJD > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Yahoo! 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