Although I am very busy & short of time, I couldn't resist myself from commenting on this mail. When I consider myself, I consider myself a human first, an assamese second and so forth. I wonder why should I call myself a human first, a 'kalita' second and an assamese next and so forth ? Is the definition of 'who an assamese is' so difficult to answer. Assam is a state, its not something denoting any caste, creed, race or religion. It is that very place, where I opened my eyes for the first time to see this wonderful world. Why some people find it difficult to call themselves assamese in preference to their cast/creed/race ? Difficult to say. right ? I wonder why????
Mridul Bhuyan
>From: Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], Assam <assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu>, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [Assam] Who is an Assamese - Assam.org
>Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 12:57:07 -0500
>
>Hi there Utpal,
>
>That was a pretty good explanation of the sentiments of Bodos or other
>ethinic groups in the NE for purposes of identity.
>
> > For the Bodos of today, establishing a Bodo identity more important than
> > anything else.
>
>I agree.
>
>I only wish that any State, religious, caste, language, or ethinic
>group in India did not have to resort to identifying ourselves.
>
>IMHO While identities have become so important, and in some cases even
>of the very survival of an ethinic group, ultimately most times, I
>think, these identities only cause further divisions whether in a
>state or the country as a whole.
>
>--Ram da
>
>
>
>On 6/30/05, Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > This is Utpal Brahma using his wife's id.
> >
> > I am a half Bodo (father Bodo, Mother Assamese) who is married to an
> > Assamese from Nowgong. And I consider myself to be a human first then a Bodo
> > and then an Assamese - in that order.
> >
> > For the Bodos of today, establishing a Bodo identity more important than
> > anything else. Whether Bodos are Assamese, an interesting question. There
> > are Bodos in North Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tripura and Myanmar. Would you
> > call a Bodo from Nepal an Assamese ? Or for that matter would a Bodo from
> > Nepal call himself an Assamese ? Not in your wildest dreams !!
> >
> > Would a Bodo like to get classified as Assamese Bodo, Bengali Bodo, Nepali
> > Bodo, Myanmarese Bodo ? You bet not . A Bodo is a Bodo regardless where he
> > comes from and thats the way the Bodos of today would like to see. That is
> > why you see a greater effort by the likes of Bodo Sahitya Sabha , Bodo
> > Thunlai Afat to seek more active participation from Bodos living beyond
> > Assam.
> >
> > While the Bodos should live in harmony with all communities in Assam and
> > for that matter in Nepal, North Bengal, Tripura and Myanmar, they should be
> > bonded by a Pan Bodo brotherhood. Establishing a separate identity of
> > Assamese Bodo, Bengali Bodo, Burmese Bodo, Tripuri Bodo would further divide
> > a community which has already seen much division in the form of Sonowal,
> > Dimacha, Sarania etc etc. Not to speak of the political fractions.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Below is quite a detailed analysis in trying to define who an Assames
> > is. I think the author has gone in-depth into this question and
> > considering numerous factors. Unfortunately, the author is listed as
> > 'anonymous'.
> >
> > --Ram
> > ___________________
> > Who is an Assamese? This question has been plaguing different sections
> > of people for quite some time and more so after the central government
> > has put this question to Assam government. Different people are
> > concocting different definitions ignoring the ground realities.
> > Assamese intelligentsias and other leaders would usually try to paint
> > a utopian picture of Assamese as most of us are still suffering from
> > "Bor Asom" syndrome. Literary organizations have come up with a
> > convenient definition saying that all the people speaking Assamese or
> > one of the native languages of the state are Assamese. Or! many of us
> > are content with the simplistic definition that all the people living
> > in Assam are Assamese. Political parties are coming out with
> > definitions based on cut off years.
> >
> > The first point to be noted is whether we are looking for a definition
> > based on ethno-linguistic basis or on geographical basis. All people
> > living in Assam dubbed as Assamese (qualified based on some cut off
> > years) fall under the later category of definition. It can be a
> > definition convenient for the government machinery but the irony is
> > that this definition will be meaningless for multitudes of communities
> > living in Assam. To most of these people, a simple definition based on
> > factual truth is that an Assamese is any person speaking the language.
> > He may be an Ahom, a Bamun, a Koch, Kalita, Kachari, Chutia, Deori,
> > Sarania, Bagania, a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or a Bodo, Rabha, Tiwa,
> > Mishing, Karbi, Tai etc speaking the Assamese language. This
> > definition based on lan! guage will immediately raise the question- who
> >
> > then are the Bodos speaking Bodo language or the Karbis of Karbi
> > Anglong or the Dimasas of NC Hills? Are not they Assamese? These are
> > the three big tribal communities demanding separation from Assam. Many
> > of us will still try to tag these communities as Assamese dismissing
> > the fact that they speak a language totally intelligible to Assamese
> > speakers. Present day reality is that a Bodo speaking Bodo language
> > would not identify himself as Assamese in the same way as a Khasi
> > would not consider himself as an Assamese. Here only difference is
> > that the Khasis have a state of their own and the Bodos are settling
> > for an entity slightly short of a full fledged state. Same will be the
> > case with Karbi, Dimasa or for that matter any of the numerous tribes
> > like Zeme, Hmar, Biate, Hrangkhol, Thadou, Chakma, Garo, Naga etc
> > living in Assam away from the mainstream Assamese speaking community.
> > Ask the leaders! of these communities whether they consider themselves
> > Assamese without any qualifications. Most will assert their own ethnic
> > identity and would like to be seen as one of the indigenous
> > communities of Assam and not as Assamese.
> >
> > Independence handed over to us a state of Assam which was very
> > heterogenous even after severing of Sylhet. So there was this futile
> > attempt to create a homogeneous Assamese state and Khasis, Nagas,
> > Lushais all were considered part of greater Assamese society. With the
> > formation of new states these communities no longer were cited as part
> > of the greater Assamese community. Now almost similar situation hold
> > good for Bodos, Karbis and Dimasas as they have also got some sort of
> > autonomous politico-administrative unit or aspiration for totally
> > separate states having to do nothing with Assam.
> >
> > If we cling to the old broad definition, the state of Assamese
> > community starts resembling an unhappy marriage with unwilling
> > partners. The process of Assamese nationality building has to some
> > extent come to a halt with the rising ethnic and linguistic
> > aspirations of those very communities who were contributing formation
> > of Assamese community. Karbis and Dimasas are clamouring for separate
> > state to go the Khasi, Naga, Mizo ways. Bodos have attained something
> > short of separate state. Formation of BTAD is also a step in that
> > direction. Bodo language is an 8th schedule language just like the
> > Assamese. So instead of unilaterally trying to define who is an
> > Assamese, time has come to probe who considers oneself as Assamese.
> > And this may shatter many myths we have been holding about our greater
> > Assamese society. It is high time we start appreciating the
> > discomfiture many of the communities have on being dubbed as Assamese.
> > It will also redefine the social boundary of Assamese community. This
> > realistic definition may seem to be parochial to those who dre! ad that
> > such narrow vision of Assamese community which seems to turn Assamese
> > into a minority community. Let us not forget that demographic dynamics
> > and the process of assimilation are always taking place on other
> > fronts also. Today a Bangladeshi Muslem who came to Assam some 30
> > years ago or a tea community member whose forefather came to Assam
> > some 150 years ago feel closer to Assamese society than Bodo speaking
> > brothers.
> >
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