To: Mr. Zainal AbedinC/O Bangladesh Web ComHouse 16 Road 127Gulshan, Dhaka 1212Bangladesh Tel ( 880-2) 8827413Fax ( 880-2) 9895247Mobile : (0171) 458953www.bangladesh-web.comE Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Mr. Abedin, Subject: Indian Military deployment in Assam & Ahom/Ahomiya in http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-06-07&hidType=HIG&hidRecord=0000000000000000047526 Many thanks for highlighting the military and security efforts by India making it a densest soldiered part in the world which speaks volumes about the ongoing freedom movement in Assam. I would rather make a briefest comment on the main theme in your article of the migration of your countrymen to Assam. As you very rightly pointed out, the then British administration in Assam from the early 1880’s brought in many thousands of your countrymen to settle in Assam to enhance the Agri-Revenue. These settlers are distinguishable easily from the ones arrived in Assam later on. We need to remember that Indian administration did set up special ‘Settlement Offices’ after 1947 to look after the interests of the new arrivals across the border. The illegal economic migrants should receive the same treatment as per international norms. It is amazing that this heavily soldiered region for almost for the last 15 years with 10 million(estimated) of indigenous native original population has found itself to have a population of 25 million at the last census. Is it far fetched looking at these numbers that in the disguise of settling refugees the Indian administration ! has over the years has furtively reduced the indigenous population into a minority letting the look alike people to come in both legally and illegally with a perverse aim of keeping the integrity of India intact? May I respectfully point out the word ‘Ahom’ in your piece has been misrepresented. The Ahoms are a people, a part of the Assamese nation. I believe, because of phonetical aberrations you have chosen to write it that manner to mean ‘Assamese’ actually; as you have written ‘Ahomiya’ to mean the Assamese language. The Assamese language has ONLY one distinctive sound for THE 3 different alphabets. These alphabets are also present in Bangla script[ie. The shaws ]. This distinctive sound still exists amongst your country folks particularly clearly in Sylhet to remind us of the Kumrupi influence to the edge of Korotoya river and that of the Carjageetis( Spiritual songs of Buddhist Philosophy). Carjageetis( Sorzapods in Assaemese). These songs unmistakably are closest to Assamese vocabulary and structure to any neutral observer. I think now it will be easy for you to understand what I am suggesting shortly. Assam is an anglicised word for Awxom/Awhom/Ohom/Asom and the! language Assamese is Awxomiya/Ohomiya. If one writes Ahom/Ahomiya it is likely to be understood as an attribution to the Ahoms. Although many explanation has been given for the name Awxom, I believe it is nearer you than anywhere else. Surprised? There is a word in Bangla ‘Ohom’ meaning proud. I have met few of country men of yours in the past who have described the Assamese as a ‘proud race’. That perception and describing people of the Kingdom of Assam in a similar fashion likely to have stuck and with sophistication became Awxom/Awhom/Asom. The Assamese people call themselves Awxomiya/Awhomiya/Ohomiya. By the way if the word ‘Ohom’ is derived form of Sanskrit ‘Ohongkar’ or essentially an ancient word from the region I do not know. Please note that Awxhom/Awhom/ Ohom & Awxomiya/Awhomiya/ Ohomiya all are closest representation to carry the actual phonetics. I trust you will find this feed back informative.
Regards and best wishes. Dr. M. HazarikaUnited Kingdom Copy to: [email protected] _______________________________________________ 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
