Dear Ram,
BTW: I did make a reference to this in my reply to Mridul, as to why
>Assamese do not take menial jobs. I think, that they do not, because
>there was never a need to do so before (it just wasn't worth it to
>pull rickshaws for the small payoffs) If it becomes expedient, that
>some Assamese will have pull rickshaws, they will do so. Of course,
>there are other reasons.
In fact if you happen to visit the lower assam side, there are ricksaw pullers who are assamese.
Regards
Mridul
>From: Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [Assam] Logistics of Growing Two Rice Crops Etc.
>Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 08:44:09 -0500
>
>C'da,
>
> >*** I was surprised to see you staying away from the philosophical
> >discourse on this matter Ram. But if I remember correctly you used
> >to be a card-carrying member of the 'Assamese-are-the-Lazy-Bums'
> >club. But glad you are not an active one at the moment.
>
>You remember wrong.I think all these posts going back and forth has
>you completely confused :-)
>You may had read too much into whatever I have written, but I do not
>label people as being lazy or ortherwise, and that too a card carrying
>member?
>
>I have my own pet theories about this. But one question does bother
>me. Why is that only the Assamese are concerned about this label -
>whether they are lazy or not? I don't know of any other ethinic group
>which is trying to fight this label.
>
>Is it because they are more introspective, or is it because some of
>them feel that they have to defend it? But I have heard this for so
>many years,I feel its some kind of obsession.
>
>BTW: I did make a reference to this in my reply to Mridul, as to why
>Assamese do not take menial jobs. I think, that they do not, because
>there was never a need to do so before (it just wasn't worth it to
>pull rickshaws for the small payoffs) If it becomes expedient, that
>some Assamese will have pull rickshaws, they will do so. Of course,
>there are other reasons.
>
>--Ram
>
>
>
>
>
>On 5/24/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > At 6:21 PM -0500 5/24/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> > >C'da,
> > >
> > >>Too bad you don't know of these things, nor do all those
> > >> hardworking, god's-gidft-to Kharkhowadom NRAs in Assam Net like Ram,
> > >> Rajen etc. who are ready to brand their fellow men lazy at the
> > >> slightest opportunity.
> > >
> > >heh!heh!heh! I may be God's gift to Kharkhowadom (kinda like that),
> > >but I certainly did stay clear away from whether the Assamese are lazy
> > >or hardworking discussions. That discussion was/is cornered by two
> > >other stalwarts of Kharkhowadom. Guess who they are? :-):-)
> > >
> > >--Ram
> >
> > *** I was surprised to see you staying away from the philosophical
> > discourse on this matter Ram. But if I remember correctly you used
> > to be a card-carrying member of the 'Assamese-are-the-Lazy-Bums'
> > club. But glad you are not an active one at the moment.
> >
> > c-da :-)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >On 5/24/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > >> Hi Mridul:
> > >>
> > >> Here are some answers to your questions on why you do not see too
> > >> many lazy Assamese growing two rice crops. This however is not all.
> > >> I will be pleased to answer anything that raises questions in your
> > >> mind. Too bad you don't know of these things, nor do all those
> > >> hardworking, god's-gidft-to Kharkhowadom NRAs in Assam Net like Ram,
> > >> Rajen etc. who are ready to brand their fellow men lazy at the
> > >> slightest opportunity.
> > >>
> > >> c-da
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Status: U
> > >> X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >> Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 09:42:52 -0600
> > >> To: Saurav Pathak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> > >> Prafulla Barooah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > >> From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > >> Subject: Re: river interlink and AGP
> > >> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected]
> > >>
> > >> >this was the crucial point which you tried to slip in. punjab did
> > >> >not lead the green revolution. you kept on insisting that punjab
> > >> >produced an ms, whereas assam cannot. it seems you knew it all
> > >> >along, and yet tried to mislead us.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> PRECISELY the point!
> > >>
> > >> Not to take anything away from the accomplishments of Punjab or the
> > >> Punjabis, but let us look at how the path to their successes were paved.
> > >> Where does the Bhakra-Nangal dam fit into the picture? How did it enable
> > >> Punjab's green rev.
> > >> by providing irrigation? Where does the reliable availability of power,
> > >> electricity, fit into the picture? And what about fuel? How did affordable
> > >> fuel change the picture of farming? What are the patterns of landownership
> > >> enabling
> > >> erstwhile 'zamindars' carve out new farming empires, while the landless
> > >> destitutes remain invisible to the agro-economic experts?
> > >>
> > >> Milk production and nutrition are interlinked here as well.
> > >>
> > >> These are issues that are integral to understanding the needs of the rural
> > >> Assamese farmers. As an UN expert ( from the sounds of his assertions)
> > >> Barooah must have looked into these issues before he delivered his verdict.
> > >> It will be nice to hear about these.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Why I bring these out are:
> > >>
> > >> 1: The landownership patterns in Assam are quite different from that of
> > >> Punjab. I don't know much anything about Punjab or N India. but am familiar
> > >> with rural Assam's. The suibsistence farmers of Assam are required to FENCE
> > >> off isolated plots of 'hwla', low lying rice planting areas, each season. A
> > >> formidable task, taking a huge amount of time and effort. A 'jewra' needs
> > >> replacing every two years, and requires repairing every season.
> > >>
> > >> 2: Cattle ownership, a fundamental need for surviaval --> milk. And not to
> > >> discount dung either. During the main rice crop season, cattle have no
> > >> place to graze but the 'saaporis', 'grezing' reserves, or reserve forests.
> > > > Over the decades all of these have shrunken, putting added pressures of
> > >> survival to the subsistence farmer.
> > >>
> > >> Now look at the demands of the hot-shot agri-experts who demand to know why
> > >> the Assamese farmers do not attempt to grow a second crop in the winter:
> > > > Where do their cattle go now, with the rice paddies fenced off for the
> > >> second crop? A new fence, a place to take the cattle to feed, irrigation,
> > >> fertilizer ( without which the second crop would be a flop) not to mention
> > >> pesticides. Where do all these come from? After haaving to pay for all that
> > >> what is the expected return on the excess rice crop ?
> > >>
> > >> Has Barooah priced fertilizer in rural Assam? And its availability? What is
> > >> Indias source of phosshates(BTW India HAS little or none--bulk of it is
> > >> imported) . And take a wild guess WHO gets the lions share of this
> > >> precious,subsidized, imported nutrient? Punjab or Assam?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> 3: Irrigation for dry season is dependant on shallow wells, which is just
> > >> becoming available. Most still cannot afford it. First cost wise, and then
> > >> for maintenance. Fuel cost, reliable source of electricity. Where is the
> > >> Bhakra dam (and funded by whom?) to subsidize the Assam farmers?
> > >>
> > >> 4: The ability to send the excess rice crop and/or farm produce to
> > >>the market
> > >> where a decent return could be obtained to justify the extra work: Where
> > >> are the roads,the transportation infrastructure, the cold storage
> > >> facilities , the fuel to run the trucks? Who is subsidizing the repair of
> > >> roads and bridges after every rainy season in Assam?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> *** My question here is this: Are these relevant to weigh before we compare
> > >> Punjab farmers with Assam farmers, and pass verdicts writing off the
> > >> latter's woes as rooted in laziness? And if we did, would it not point to
> > >> OUR intellectual lethargy and OUR own feeble-mindedness?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> cm
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> At 8:08 AM -0500 2/9/03, Saurav Pathak wrote:
> > >> >Prafulla Barooah said on AssamNet:
> > >> >
> > >> >+ Saurav:
> > >> >+
> > >> >+ The pros and cons of green revolution (GR) have been extensively talked
> > >> >+ about and researched in the media and scientific literature. I
> > >>believe the
> > >> >+ only other comment on GR you made that I didnot address was that it was
> > >> >+ funded by rockefeller foundation. This is known and is part of the GR
> > >> >+ history - so there is no argument on this.
> > >> >
> > >> >this was the crucial point which you tried to slip in. punjab did
> > >> >not lead the green revolution. you kept on insisting that punjab
> > >> >produced an ms, whereas assam cannot. it seems you knew it all
> > >> >along, and yet tried to mislead us.
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >+ The term GR was coined by the
> > >> >+ media, just like the White Revolution with milk in Gujarat
> > >>(started by Dr.
> > >> >+ Kurien) - but basically it was/is increased production using
> > >>various means
> > >> >+ - science, political will, environment, and people. So I have
> > >>no argument
> > >> >+ to offer because this is not a subjective topic - but based on facts of
> > >> >+ recent history. So one can read the wealth of material already
> > >> >available in
> > >> >+ the libraries on these topics.
> > >> >
> > >> >well, when you want to make an argument on the internet, make one.
> > >> >donot pass on the job to the library. there are enough material to
> > >> >refute your arguments too.
> > >> >
> > >> >i have already made my observations on the green revolution. it is a
> > >> >model that would be disastrous to assam. because of the investment
> > >> >it requires, and the fact that it supports and promotes big farmers.
> > >> >recall, assam consists mainly of susbsistence farmers. moreover,
> > >> >the green revolution has itself given rise to a system of corrupt
> > >> >distribution system. it is not in the interest of this
> > >> >distribution system to see assam grow self-sufficient in food.
> > >> >
> > >> >if you have an argument against this, provide one, instead of
> > >> >launching rhetorical angsts.
> > >> >
> > >> >i, otoh, do think the white revolution is relevant to assam.
> > >> >cooperatives have a better chance of success in assam, imho. a
> > >> >network of farming cooperatives can even address the flooding
> > >> >problem, at the local level, without daming the brahmaputra, but by
> > > > >controlling the tributaries. of course, one cannot replicate the
> > >> >gujarat cooperative milk marketing federation in toto in assam.
> > >> >
> > >> >--
> > >> >saurav
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > >> [email protected]
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> > >>
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> >
>
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