subject:"Re\: \[Assam\] ASSAMESE \- STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES"

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-17 Thread mayur bora

Dear Bhuban da

Thank you for sharing your personal experiences mainly
in Shillong. Let us not take up the reservation issue.
Statistics will show that the reservations have almost
failed to improve the conditions of the SCs and STs.
The benefits of the reservation are cornered by creamy
section among the SCs and STs, barring probably a few
exceptions. My view is very clear on that. Now, let us
go back to the original issue.

I want to give you a more recent example of Assamese
arrogance to the Bodos. The year was possibly 1989. I
was a student of Cotton College and the movement
demanding a separate state for the Bodos was in full
swing. I remember late Upen Brahma suspended the
agitation for a few months waiting for a response from
State govt under PK Mahanta. But after waiting in vain
for few months, the leaders got so pissed of due to
complete indifference shown by the state govt to their
issues that, they decided to negotiate only with
central govt from that time onwards. 

I know many Khasis felt threatened at the kind of
nomenclature the then Govt was imposing in Shillong
viz, Bishnupur, Matinagar. Any minority (whether
religious, linguistic, communal) in any country feels
slightly higher degree of insecurity compared to the
majority. It is a natural human reaction to the social
milieu he resides. There is nothing wrong in it. I
feel it is the duty of the majority to give the
minority a sense of security and solidarity in the
larger interest of the society. But with the passage
of time, it is becoming very rare.

I don't want to make a sweeping generalisation. But
even then,  you go to many villages inhabited by
Assamese speakers and tribals side by side and the
treatment given to the tribals. In the interest of not
causing embarrassment to many people, I consciously
refrain from giving further details. The rest I leave
to the collective memory of those netters who had seen
village life in Assam earlier. Of course the silver
lining is that things are slowly getting better.

As regards caste in  Assamese society, I can not agree
with you more, thanks to the fantastic socio religious
teachings of Sankaradeva.

Bye for now. Take care.

Mayur
Chandigarh

--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

>  
> Mayur 
> You have very  carefully chiselled and honed his
> defence against a veteran. 
> No doubt like the  rest of  net-colleagues,  I do 
> appreciate the niceties of 
> the repartees  exchanged while Iâve a feeling we
> are getting distanced from the 
> points raised  for discussion,  one of which  is: 
> Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream due
> to the cavalier  attitude shown by caste Hindu
> Assamese. This has resulted in disunity and a  sense
> of 
> mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a
> caste
> Hindu  myself) 
> I had been a Government servant half  of my life
> working at Shillong mostly 
> and had the good fortune of knowing at  close hand
> hundreds of legislators and 
> administrators of the State for two  decades as an
> official reporter although 
> in 1973 I left the job.   
> What I want to assert is that the  so-called caste
> Hindu Assamese had never 
> alienated the tribal people though it  appears the
> so-called caste Hindus take 
> the blame upon themselves for doing so.  First of
> all Assamese society is not 
> a very caste-bound one. Please donât go  back to
> the hoary past. I am 
> considering the post-Independence period only when 
> a few politicians belonging to the 
>  Assamese community got a chance to govern
> themselves like the rest of  
> India. The representatives of the tribal and
> scheduled caste people participated  
> in the process fully  and I believe  got a very fair
> deal from the nation, 
> particularly the people of the Hills. If  there was
> a graduate among the Khasi 
> people, he or she had every chance of  joining the
> civil services unlike a Plains 
> graduate because of the reservation.  In those days
> it was difficult for a 
> Matriculate Assamese typist to get a job  either in
> the plains district or at 
> Shillong but it was not a problem for a 
> non-Matriculate Khasi girl to get the 
> job of a typist. They did have grievances  but these
> were rather exaggerated 
> and not genuine. For example,  they blamed the
> Government for  allotting  
> housing land to  Government servants within and
> around the town so that the 
> employees could  attend  their offices on time.
> These  were never permanently settled; 
> initially leased for ten years or so although  the
> tenure was extended from 
> time to time. A local Khasi did not have this 
> problem; in fact he or a she 
> exploited the situation to their advantage. In 
> those days there were not many 
> houses available to let; so it was a step the 
> government of the time thought as 
> essential. Besides, the Khasi Hills were then  a
> part of Assam. Even today 
> only a small area is free from the tribal belt, that
>  is the Shillong 
> Municipality  area.  The Khasi people

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES On his NEgatives

2005-09-16 Thread mc mahant

Nice to see Mayur listing.

As they say " State the Problem and you have half solved it"
LET 's comment  on his Negatives:
1 Caste: POINTLESS IN 2005 PLUS
2 Emotions ;Logic/rationality first.
3 Short public memory: Each netter should lay bare the archieves of our 
errors as of last 60 years.
4 Hobo diok/Chalta Hai: " Change or Die" that souuld our net's motto.
5FLood Havoc -: Fools created it . We'll solve it.
6 Law & order/Insurgency : These are effects -not causes.
7Tension all around - Ditto.
8 Lack of business acumen: We need comlpete overhaul of economy to a guided 
one.Big problem.
9 Aversion to manual labour : Recent phenomenon. Can be corrected fast.
10 Disturbed Demography: Bangladeshis are not disturbing you . You will 
guide them -always.
11 Divisive VOlte Bank POlicy: Westminster -inspired election has to be 
scrapped forever.
12 GOvt APathy:" You deserve the GOvt you elect"
13 Aversion to moneymaking games-'But that is not creating of  hapiness'. 
Other mechanisms worked elsewhere.
14 POOR Connectivity: We do not want too much of it.
15. Infrastructure bottlenecks: Ditto.
16 SOku Soroha : Idle Brain is devil's workshop. KEEP them Busy always. TV 
Has never enriched minds.
17 . Lack of Industries : What kind is needed, -where,what,how,why, how 
big--net purpose?
18 Overdependence on traditional methods: Science / technology is all about 
it." Change or die"
mm


>From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: mayur bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, 
>[EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], 
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>CC: assam@assamnet.org
>Subject: Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
>Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 21:50:48 -0500
>
>Hello Mayur:
>
>Welcome to assamnet.
>
>I am delighted to see a newcomer starting out not only participating,
>but taking a lead on a discussion. That is very commendable. I hope
>you will continue to be a contributing member. I also invite all the
>others to participate as well. The net, after all, is what WE make of
>it.
>
>Our good friend, and often my adversary in many a debate,Ram
>Sarangapani told you "---I am sure you are going to get a earful,
>specially regarding the negatives,". Obviously he was alluding to my
>positions :-). He may be right, under certain circumstances. But he
>is wrong in its essence.
>
>Be all that as may be, while I appreciate your efforts at cataloging
>our ethnic attitudinal traits, I will be remiss if I did not point
>out one fundamental fact about such attempts at attributing qualities
>to a group of people, be it positive, be it negative or be it
>neutral: There rarely is any scientific or rational basis to such
>labeling. Why I say that is this:
>
>Almost all of the positive and most all of the negatives too, could
>be attributed to any other group of people in the south Asian
>sub-continent with about the same degree of accuracy.
>
>Furthermore, some of the attributes that you might present as
>positive, could very well be negative, depending on who is doing the
>grading. There are no RIGHT/WRONG, GOOD/BAD measuring standards for
>them. Any qualifying is entirely subjective.
>
>
>Allow me to give some examples:
>
>Among the pluses you put forth:
>
>Strength of Assamese People / Assam
>
>1. Diverse and rich literary and cultural traditions
>
>2. Favourable climatic condition
>
>3. Healthy and relatively spice less cuisine
>
>4. Great hospitality and relative simplicity of people
>
>5. Fertile land
>
>6. Rich flora and fauna
>
>8. Major producer of  tea and oil
>
>9. Tremendous tourism potential
>
>10. Absence of dowry
>
>
> Items 1 thru 4 could apply to any other group depending on who
>is doing the grading. Item 5 may or may not be applicable to all. But
>there might be other
>equally useful attributes to make up any land fertility deficiency,
>such as rich in minerals. 6 thru 9 also could have parallel other
>attributes to make up for.
>
>While absence of dowry in Assam USED to be an unique characteristic
>to the region, from what I hear that it changing rapidly now. Is that
>true? Even if it is not so, still out of ten, only one attribute
>could be solidly presented as an unique positive quality of the
>people of Assam.
>
>Similarly on the negatives. I could examine those too. But in order
>not to scare you off with an earful hat Ram warned you of :-). I
>would let you and others think that thru.
>
>Ultimately it all boils down to individuals in a certain group acting
>to preserve and promote one's own unique needs, with the resources
>available, within their various constraints and under the
>circumstances they are in. In that the qualities could not be
>attr

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-16 Thread BBaruah

Mayur
You have very
carefully chiselled and honed his defence against a veteran. No doubt like the
rest of net-colleagues, I do appreciate the niceties of the repartees
exchanged while I’ve a feeling we are getting distanced from the points raised
for discussion, one of which
is:
Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream dueto the cavalier
attitude shown by caste HinduAssamese. This has resulted in disunity and a
sense of mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a casteHindu
myself)
I had been a Government servant half
of my life working at Shillong mostly and had the good fortune of knowing at
close hand hundreds of legislators and administrators of the State for two
decades as an official reporter although in 1973 I left the job.

What I want to assert is that the
so-called caste Hindu Assamese had never alienated the tribal people though it
appears the so-called caste Hindus take the blame upon themselves for doing so.
First of all Assamese society is not a very caste-bound one. Please don’t go
back to the hoary past. I am considering the post-Independence period only when
a few politicians belonging to the
Assamese community got a chance to govern themselves like the rest of
India. The representatives of the tribal and scheduled caste people participated
in the process fully and I believe
got a very fair deal from the nation, particularly the people of the Hills. If
there was a graduate among the Khasi people, he or she had every chance of
joining the civil services unlike a Plains graduate because of the reservation.
In those days it was difficult for a Matriculate Assamese typist to get a job
either in the plains district or at Shillong but it was not a problem for a
non-Matriculate Khasi girl to get the job of a typist. They did have grievances
but these were rather exaggerated and not genuine. For example, they blamed the Government for
allotting housing land to
Government servants within and around the town so that the employees could
attend their offices on time. These
were never permanently settled; initially leased for ten years or so although
the tenure was extended from time to time. A local Khasi did not have this
problem; in fact he or a she exploited the situation to their advantage. In
those days there were not many houses available to let; so it was a step the
government of the time thought as essential. Besides, the Khasi Hills were then
a part of Assam. Even today only a small area is free from the tribal belt, that
is the Shillong Municipality area.
The Khasi people greatly benefited economically because of the capital of the
State being at Shillong while the Plains including the rest of the hill
districts including Arunachal suffered in many
ways.
The Khasis were mostly Christians
and they were pampered. More or
less that applies in case of the tribal and scheduled caste people of the rest
of the State. The tribal people considered their fellow citizens from the Plains
as inferior to the White Sahibs,
and Western religion and culture superior to those of the plains people.
They had no occasion to be socially ostracised. Relations with the Nagas and
Lushais were also by and large similar. I remember one Plains tribal friend of
mine telling me on an occasion: Baruah, you have to have the Bible and come from
the Hills if you want anything from the Government.
The ‘disunity and a sense of mutual
distrust among different tribes’ does exist. But I suppose you really mean
‘disunity and a sense of mutual distrust’ between the tribal people and the
Assamese’. Please clarify.

Best
wishes
Bhuban
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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-15 Thread Ram Sarangapani

This is interesting. 

I always thought there were some Hindus without a caste assigned. 
Hence the term 'caste Hindus'.
I suspect there may also be some Hindus who 'lost' their caste - for
reasons like Xat Xagor paar hwa or goru kwhua (albeit belaiti). :)

Anyway, for whatever reason, I must have lost mine somewhere over the Atlantic.

For the rest, hopefully they have their castes intact. :)



On 9/15/05, mayur bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I don't know what is the textbook  or sociological
> definition of caste hindu. But I am clear what I meant
> by that. Caste Hindus are those those Assamese
> Speakers who do not belong to the  Scheduled tribes.
> But whether SCs and OBCs are part of that or outside
> that group can be open to further debate.
> 
> Mayur
> 
> 
> --- Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
> 
> > I am totally clueless as well. Hence the question
> > mark (caste hindu ?)
> >
> >
> >
> > Prasenjit Chetia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Who are caste Hindu ? Sorry no offence intended out
> > of my ignorance, but I searched google without any
> > reasonable descrption.
> >
> > Prasenjit
> >
> >
> > On 9/15/05, Malabika Brahma
> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Ram da and
> > Mayur,
> >
> > By the way, that was Utpal using Malabika's Assamner
> > email id, where we receieve all Assamnet emails.
> >
> > Mayur, I would like to assure you that I was not
> > really bogged down by the particular word
> > "Mainstream" .   I myself is half Bodo and half
> > Assamese (caste Hindu ?) and married to an Assamese
> > (again Caste Hindu?) from Nagaon.
> >
> > In response to Ram da's note
> >
> > >> I have not heard dominant cultures others being
> > clubbed together as parallel streams.
> >
> > I would say that may be a time has come when we
> > change the mindset. A time has come when we
> > recognize that the key to harmony lies in
> > recognizing plurality with equal status/honor as a
> > fact of life.
> >
> > Only if we could instill that notion of parallel
> > streams with mutual respect and understanding
> > amongst India/Assam's different
> > religions/regions/languages/cultures, we could do
> > away with a lot of ethnic/regional conflicts that we
> > are so used to seeing.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Utpal Brahma
> > urlington, NJ
> >
> >
> >
> > Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Malabika,
> >
> > >What is mainstream anyway ?
> >
> > After reading Mayur's explanation (and your
> > concerns) I feel Mayur is right here.
> >
> > The term 'mainstream' may not be the right word, but
> > how would you for example, describe the American
> > culture?
> > Here for example, Whites/Causian are 'mainstream'
> > and others like American Indians or Blacks are not.
> > Does that mean that American Indian culture is 'sub'
> > of the mainstream or the African Amer. of the
> > Whites. I don't know.
> >
> > In the US,if Causians are refered to as the
> > Mainstream and Indian Americans (like us) as not
> > Mainstream, would  not  ruffle my feathers. I know
> > we are not 'sub' anything of Causians. We are just
> > small in numbers.
> >
> > I have not heard dominant cultures others being
> > clubbed together as parallel streams.
> >
> > Hope you guys are doing great. How is Utpal?
> >
> > --Ram da
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/14/05, Malabika Brahma
> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:
> > 1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream
> > due
> > to the cavalier attitude shown by caste Hindu
> > Assamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense
> > of
> > mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a
> > caste
> > Hindu myself
> >
> >
> >
> > What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt
> > culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India,
> > the Culture practised  by the Assamese speakers in
> > Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by
> > other speakers, for example Bodo.  These are
> > different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What
> > is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and
> > respect.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -
> > To help you stay safe and secure online, we've
> > developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ___
> > assam mailing list
> > assam@assamnet.org
> >
> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -
> > How much free photo storage do you get? Store your
> > holiday snaps for FREE with Yahoo! Photos. Get
> > Yahoo! Photos
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ___
> > assam mailing list
> > assam@assamnet.org
> >
> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Prasenjit Chetia
> > Atlanta, GA
> >
> > -
> > To help you stay safe and secure online, we've
> > developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.>
> _

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-15 Thread mayur bora

I don't know what is the textbook  or sociological
definition of caste hindu. But I am clear what I meant
by that. Caste Hindus are those those Assamese
Speakers who do not belong to the  Scheduled tribes.
But whether SCs and OBCs are part of that or outside
that group can be open to further debate.

Mayur

 
--- Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:

> I am totally clueless as well. Hence the question
> mark (caste hindu ?)
>  
> 
> 
> Prasenjit Chetia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Who are caste Hindu ? Sorry no offence intended out
> of my ignorance, but I searched google without any
> reasonable descrption.
>  
> Prasenjit
> 
>  
> On 9/15/05, Malabika Brahma
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Ram da and
> Mayur,
>  
> By the way, that was Utpal using Malabika's Assamner
> email id, where we receieve all Assamnet emails.
>  
> Mayur, I would like to assure you that I was not
> really bogged down by the particular word
> "Mainstream" .   I myself is half Bodo and half
> Assamese (caste Hindu ?) and married to an Assamese
> (again Caste Hindu?) from Nagaon. 
>  
> In response to Ram da's note
>  
> >> I have not heard dominant cultures others being
> clubbed together as parallel streams. 
>  
> I would say that may be a time has come when we
> change the mindset. A time has come when we
> recognize that the key to harmony lies in
> recognizing plurality with equal status/honor as a
> fact of life.
>  
> Only if we could instill that notion of parallel
> streams with mutual respect and understanding
> amongst India/Assam's different
> religions/regions/languages/cultures, we could do
> away with a lot of ethnic/regional conflicts that we
> are so used to seeing. 
>  
> Thanks
>  
> Utpal Brahma
> urlington, NJ 
> 
> 
> 
> Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> Hi Malabika,
>  
> >What is mainstream anyway ?
>  
> After reading Mayur's explanation (and your
> concerns) I feel Mayur is right here.
>  
> The term 'mainstream' may not be the right word, but
> how would you for example, describe the American
> culture?
> Here for example, Whites/Causian are 'mainstream'
> and others like American Indians or Blacks are not.
> Does that mean that American Indian culture is 'sub'
> of the mainstream or the African Amer. of the
> Whites. I don't know. 
>  
> In the US,if Causians are refered to as the
> Mainstream and Indian Americans (like us) as not
> Mainstream, would  not  ruffle my feathers. I know
> we are not 'sub' anything of Causians. We are just
> small in numbers.
>  
> I have not heard dominant cultures others being
> clubbed together as parallel streams. 
>  
> Hope you guys are doing great. How is Utpal?
>  
> --Ram da
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
> 
>  
> On 9/14/05, Malabika Brahma
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: 
> 1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream
> due
> to the cavalier attitude shown by caste Hindu
> Assamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense
> of
> mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a
> caste 
> Hindu myself
> 
>  
> 
> What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt
> culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India,
> the Culture practised  by the Assamese speakers in
> Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by
> other speakers, for example Bodo.  These are
> different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What
> is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and
> respect. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> -
> To help you stay safe and secure online, we've
> developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ___
> assam mailing list
> assam@assamnet.org 
>
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -
> How much free photo storage do you get? Store your
> holiday snaps for FREE with Yahoo! Photos. Get
> Yahoo! Photos 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ___
> assam mailing list
> assam@assamnet.org
>
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Prasenjit Chetia
> Atlanta, GA 
>   
> -
> To help you stay safe and secure online, we've
> developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.>
___
> assam mailing list
> assam@assamnet.org
>
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> 


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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-15 Thread Malabika Brahma

I am totally clueless as well. Hence the question mark (caste hindu ?)
Prasenjit Chetia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Who are caste Hindu ? Sorry no offence intended out of my ignorance, but I searched google without any reasonable descrption.
Prasenjit
On 9/15/05, Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Ram da and Mayur,
By the way, that was Utpal using Malabika's Assamner email id, where we receieve all Assamnet emails.
Mayur, I would like to assure you that I was not really bogged down by the particular word "Mainstream" . I myself is half Bodo and half Assamese (caste Hindu ?) and married to an Assamese (again Caste Hindu?) from Nagaon.
In response to Ram da's note

>> I have not heard dominant cultures others being clubbed together as parallel streams.
I would say that may be a time has come when we change the mindset. A time has come when we recognize that the key to harmony lies in recognizing plurality with equal status/honor as a fact of life.
Only if we could instill that notion of parallel streams with mutual respect and understanding amongst India/Assam's different religions/regions/languages/cultures, we could do away with a lot of ethnic/regional conflicts that we are so used to seeing.
Thanks
Utpal Brahma
urlington, NJ Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Hi Malabika,
>What is mainstream anyway ?
After reading Mayur's explanation (and your concerns) I feel Mayur is right here.
The term 'mainstream' may not be the right word, but how would you for example, describe the American culture?
Here for example, Whites/Causian are 'mainstream' and others like American Indians or Blacks are not. Does that mean that American Indian culture is 'sub' of the mainstream or the African Amer. of the Whites. I don't know.
In the US,if Causians are refered to as the Mainstream and Indian Americans (like us) as not Mainstream, would not ruffle my feathers. I know we are not 'sub' anything of Causians. We are just small in numbers.
I have not heard dominant cultures others being clubbed together as parallel streams.
Hope you guys are doing great. How is Utpal?
--Ram da
On 9/14/05, Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:

1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream dueto the cavalier attitude shown by caste HinduAssamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense ofmutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a caste Hindu myself
What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India, the Culture practised by the Assamese speakers in Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by other speakers, for example Bodo. These are different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and respect.

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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-15 Thread Malabika Brahma

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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-15 Thread Chan Mahanta

Hi Mayur:

Malabika's comment and my endorsement are not fixations on semantics, 
but rejection of a deeply ingrained, but unacceptable cultural 
chauvinism that permeates thruout the south Asian subcontinent's many 
peoples. It also works in a pac-man-like, the bigger fish eating up 
the smaller fry manner.

Ram's analogy to the American milieu is not only a stretch, but a 
completely inapplicable analogy.  Why? Because in America political 
power is not distributed along ethnic or religious or cultural lines. 
True the racial minorities once were held under with overtly 
suppressive  methods, but that is in the past.

India's political powers continue to be divvied up along ethnic and 
religious lines, and rarely, if ever, along ideological or issue 
based  ones. India has unable to break free of this mode, and will 
not in the foreseeable future.

In that context, use of terms such as 'main-stream', 'tribal' etc.to 
categorize and label people , even without any intention of causing 
any harm, perpetuates and tacitly endorses a legitimacy of the 
hegemony of numerical majorities along ethnic, language and religious 
lines, which could not be more inimical to the realization of the 
much touted but far-from-reality 'secular, democratic and federal 
republic of India'.

Terms like 'main-stream-India', automatically  sidelines the peoples 
of NE India for example and makes them also-ran, not all that 
important components. And it is not a figment of insecure minds, but 
a well established and demonstrated fact.  Just look at the Haryana 
folks' perception of the NE that you spoke of. And they, some of the 
most corrupt and violent people in the sub-continent should talk.

Finally, I have another comment on your effort. You are attempting to 
evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the people who call Assam 
home, using the populations of other parts of India as a benchmark. 
Obviously you feel insecure of your own ethnic identity in 
comparison, and thus want to pinpoint the areas that might need 
improvements, relatively speaking.

First off, it is a lost cause, because you are using a benchmark that 
does not exist. It is as nebulous and fictional as one could be.In 
our architectural jargon we would call it a 'rubber-scale', one that 
could be bent and stretched to fill any need of the user.  Why I say 
that is because if you try to quantify the qualities of those other 
peoples that you propose to judge those of Assam by
you will immediately find that they would not stand to ordinary 
scrutiny even momentarily. If you don't believe me, give it a try and 
any number of netters will be able to show you why :-).

Secondly, should anyone attempt to reach higher goals, it is imperative that
they should aim for a sufficiently high aim. Low expectations, 
reaching for low standards, is one of the biggest impediments to 
growth and achievement. Your using the examples of 'those other 
Indians' is such a low-expectations-pursuit. Very much in line with 
all those Indian nationalists who go ga-ga over anything that seems 
better than Pakistan or B'desh. That I would submit, is nothing less 
than a loser's pursuit :-).

Best to you.

cm

At 8:13 PM -0700 9/14/05, mayur bora wrote:
>Hi Malabika
>
>After seeing your comments and subsequent endorsement
>by Mr Mahanta, I am constrained to conclude that WE
>ARE PROBABLY MISSING THE WOODS FOR THE TREES. I would
>have been happier had you viewed my comments in a more
>comprehensive way in stead of getting bogged down by a
>particular word (mainstream) which I had to use with
>my limited vocabulary to drive home the fact that the
>kind of mutual love and trust that should have been
>existed between the Assamese and other tribal people
>of the state is missing and I have stated the reason
>also. At times, one tends to get affected by some
>small issues leaving the larger the issue unattended,
>that probably can be termed as one of our weaknesses.
>I am sure Mr Anupom Rajkhowa is probably feeling on
>the same lines in respect of the issue he raised.
>
>But I must thank you for your observation. I am very
>clear in my objective. I don't want people to ratify
>what I said. What I want is a lively and healthy
>debate on the issues.
>
>Bye for now.
>
>Mayur
>Chandigarh
>
>
>
>--- Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>  1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream
>>  due
>>  to the cavalier attitude shown by caste Hindu
>>  Assamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense
>>  of
>>  mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a
>>  caste
>>  Hindu myself
>>
>> 
>>
>>  What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt
>>  culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India,
>>  the Culture practised  by the Assamese speakers in
>>  Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by
>>  other speakers, for example Bodo.  These are
>>  different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What
>>  is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and
>>

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-15 Thread Ram Sarangapani

In the US,if Causians are refered to as the Mainstream and Indian Americans (like us) as not Mainstream, would not ruffle my feathers. I know we are not 'sub' anything of Causians. We are just small in numbers.

I have not heard dominant cultures others being clubbed together as parallel streams.
Hope you guys are doing great. How is Utpal?
--Ram da
On 9/14/05, Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream dueto the cavalier attitude shown by caste HinduAssamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense ofmutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a caste
Hindu myself
What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India, the Culture practised by the Assamese speakers in Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by other speakers, for example Bodo. These are different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and respect.

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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-14 Thread mayur bora

Hi Malabika

After seeing your comments and subsequent endorsement
by Mr Mahanta, I am constrained to conclude that WE
ARE PROBABLY MISSING THE WOODS FOR THE TREES. I would
have been happier had you viewed my comments in a more
comprehensive way in stead of getting bogged down by a
particular word (mainstream) which I had to use with
my limited vocabulary to drive home the fact that the
kind of mutual love and trust that should have been
existed between the Assamese and other tribal people
of the state is missing and I have stated the reason
also. At times, one tends to get affected by some
small issues leaving the larger the issue unattended,
that probably can be termed as one of our weaknesses.
I am sure Mr Anupom Rajkhowa is probably feeling on
the same lines in respect of the issue he raised.

But I must thank you for your observation. I am very
clear in my objective. I don't want people to ratify
what I said. What I want is a lively and healthy
debate on the issues.

Bye for now.

Mayur
Chandigarh

--- Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:

> 
> 1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream
> due
> to the cavalier attitude shown by caste Hindu
> Assamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense
> of
> mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a
> caste
> Hindu myself
> 
>  
> 
> What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt
> culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India,
> the Culture practised  by the Assamese speakers in
> Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by
> other speakers, for example Bodo.  These are
> different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What
> is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and
> respect.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
>   
> -
> To help you stay safe and secure online, we've
> developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.>
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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-14 Thread Chan Mahanta

Title: Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES


Well said Malabika.








At 6:02 PM +0100 9/14/05, Malabika Brahma wrote:


1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream due
to the cavalier attitude shown by caste Hindu
Assamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense of
mutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a caste
Hindu myself

 

What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt culture
can not be a Mainstream culture in India, the Culture practised 
by the Assamese speakers in Brahmaputra valley is not considered
MainStream by other speakers, for example Bodo.  These are
different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What is
needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and respect.

 

 



   
   



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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-14 Thread Malabika Brahma




1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream dueto the cavalier attitude shown by caste HinduAssamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense ofmutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a casteHindu myself
 
What is mainstream anyway ? Just like the Cow-Belt culture can not be a Mainstream culture in India, the Culture practised  by the Assamese speakers in Brahmaputra valley is not considered MainStream by other speakers, for example Bodo.  These are different stream, one is not "SUB" to another. What is needed between the 2 streams is appreciation and respect.
 
 
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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-14 Thread BBaruah




I am not responding to this topic ad seriatim but rather in comparison 
or contrast with Bangaldesh. I am taking just one aspect: Population. It is 
a great strength. In 1905 Assam and certain areas of East Bengal were 
united. In 1912 Assam reverted to a Chief Commissionership while East 
Bengal was tagged to West Bengal till partition in 1947, Assam losing some areas 
at the same time. The rest is history. Comparison ought to be made between 
equals. But it has so happened that now Bangladesh is compared with India 
as a separate independent sovereign country asserting its equal status among the 
comity of nations. Just think,and that particular area happened to be only 
a part of former Assam! A few years ago a Bangladeshi Minister proudly 
stated that his country enjoyed a higher per capital income than 
India. I doubted it but later found out it to be a fact. Also I had to 
believe that Bangladesh paid more customs duty than all the aid together she 
received from foreign donors. In recognition the Deputy Chairmanship of the 
British Chamber of Commerce went to a UK citizen of Bangladeshi origin. By 
the sheer strength of their numbers, a hard-working lot I must admit, they have 
done so well today their restaurant trade outdid the mining industry (a dying 
one) and their cuisin (usually called Indian) labelled as part of British 
culture.
 
Now the statistics: In 1950 there were about 300 Bangladeshis in UK (nearly 
the same number of Assamese families at present in UK). By 1962, their 
population increased to 5,000. In 2000, it rose to 106,200. Lack of a homogenous 
population is such a weakness of the State that Assam is most likely to be 
a minority community in their own State in the not too distant 
future. 
 
At present there are three Bengali television channels in UK, all 
commercially run. What a  tremendous boost it has given to Bengali 
education, religion, culture, literature, trade and commerce! In addition to it 
the BBC Bengali Service has contributed to the development of Bengali education, 
culture and literature for the last sixty years or so by employing very able 
journalists from that country including India. Other foreign broadcasters have 
joined in worldwide recognising Bangladesh as a nation to be reckoned with. 
But this includes West Bengal also partially. One can hear these broadcasts from 
the websites in a limited way, in addition to the extensive shortwave radio 
network.
 
In UK itself there are several Bengali periodical newspapers. Thousands of 
new books have been published in Bangladesh. Bengali books are available in the 
City of London public libraries.They are actively participating in international 
sports and games too.
 
The rise of this population is of course a threat to the indigenous 
population of UK.  Since Bangladeshis are cent percent Muslims, it has been 
predicted that the country could become predominantly Muslim within 30 years if 
not checked.
 
This is just to show how an industrious population could achieve 
propsperity in a short time.
 
Let me add a few words about international awards. Bengali is indeed a 
developed language. Hindi was not developed as Bengali at one time. After 
Independence the Hindi language got a veritable and enviable 
boost. Awards depend on a number of factors. Merit is one. Circumstances 
are another. It has been said of Rabindranath Tagore that his introduction 
to the world scene was made possible because of his friendship with the Irish 
Nobel-laureate W B Yates. Secondly,  the Nobel committee thought the 
Geetanjali, the prize-winner,  was in praise of Christ. The Indian 
novelist R K Narayan received very useful hints from his close 
friend  Graham Greene, a very distinguished English novelist.He 
was certainly a candidate for the Nobel prize, a fact well-known to 
the critics of his time.  Religious hatred catapulted Taslim 
Nasrin  to international fame. Modern marketing strategy employed 
by mainstream publishers is subtle, innovative and daring. Critics of 
Bengali literature maintain that there are many Bengali authors whose work 
has  more merit that of cerain recipients of the Nobel prize. One 
may write well but that writing has to reach the judges' table in a 
language they can follow.
 
Bhuban
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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-13 Thread Ram Sarangapani

Dear Mayur,

>Honestly speaking, I am not aware of the history of the term HOBO DIOK on Assamnet.I used the >word as it described our attitude nicely.

No harm done, but, if I am correct, it been bandied around for a couple years now. It may even have been 'copyrighted'  :).

Perhaps, C'da (Chandan da) would like to explain why, someone like you, who hasn't had the Assamnet experience would use the term?

My question is, why is the term & the meaning of Hobo diok pervasive? I agree, some might not like the label, but, nevertheless, somehow, outside the confines of Assamnet it seems to have stuck around.

>I am tempted to say that our failure to propagate the>contributions of our literary and cultural stalwarts>starting from Bhattadev, Sankaradeva, Madhabdeva to Dr>Bhabendranath Saikia, Homen Borgohain etc in the
>outside world (outside means outside Assam) is a big>weakness.

I have a slightly different take on this point. For the propogation of literature a couple of things need to be in place. Quality or excellence alone is not sufficient in this day and age.

(a) readership or a large population that will sustain and propogate such literature
(b) IMHO, sometimes an attitudinal problem exists in some societies. A good example is for a long time, Indians had a subservient attitude toward anything Western. 
Until the bogah sahib said something was excellent, it didn't pass muster, then of course it would get the Booker prize or the Nobel. And once that happens, then we are all agog of the recognition.

(these are just cases one sees often, surely there are genuine deserving cases)

(c) Lastly, I am not sure IF any good literature needs propogation? What is the need for such acknowledgement and recognition? I am not saying literature shouldn't be translated for the ease of others, but propogation? If its excellent, why can't it make it on its own through normal marketing routes?

>Furthermore, some of the attributes that you might present as>positive, could very well be negative, depending on who is doing the>grading. There are no RIGHT/WRONG, GOOD/BAD measuring standards for
>them. Any qualifying is entirely subjective.

I agree with C'da here. But just because they are subjective (or measured against some standard) we cannot just ignore them.

>Ultimately it all boils down to individuals in a certain group acting>to preserve and promote one's own unique needs, with the resources>available, within their various constraints and under the
>circumstances they are in.

That is a mouthful. I had to read it twice to get to the essence. Then it struck me, of course, this is a great excuse for any problem- a one-stop solution. All we have to do is apply this reasoning, and one can always find one reason or another for any of our ills.

>In Chandigarh, Assam is generally identified with>violent activities like no of deaths at the hands of>police/army forces or insurgents.

Actually, taking C'da's 'solution', you could have explained to the people in Chandigarh why that kind of labeling is not warranted:)

Ram

Dear RamAt the outset, I must thank you for your prompt anddetailed reply to my mail. Honestly speaking, I am notaware of the history of the term HOBO DIOK onAssamnet. If I have hurt the sentiments by using the
word, I am very sorry for that. I used the word as itdescribed our attitude nicely.You are very right. Frequent Bandh called by any Tom,Dick and Harry is the anathema for the state. As ofreligious tolerance, it can be attributed to the
religious tachings of Mahapurush Sankaradeva in the15th century. Moreover, due to the same reason, castebarriers are not that strong in Assam compared toother 'mainstream' states of India.I am tempted to say that our failure to propagate the
contributions of our literary and cultural stalwartsstarting from Bhattadev, Sankaradeva, Madhabdeva to DrBhabendranath Saikia, Homen Borgohain etc in theoutside world (outside means outside Assam) is a big
weakness. I wonder what would have happened hadSankardeva been born in some other state like westBengal.In Chandigarh, Assam is generally identified withviolent activities like no of deaths at the hands of
police/army forces or insurgents.Looking for a healthy debate on the entire gamut ofissues.Mayur 
On 9/13/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hello Mayur:Welcome to assamnet.I am delighted to see a newcomer starting out not only participating,
but taking a lead on a discussion. That is very commendable. I hopeyou will continue to be a contributing member. I also invite all theothers to participate as well. The net, after all, is what WE make ofit.
Our good friend, and often my adversary in many a debate,RamSarangapani told you "---I am sure you are going to get a earful,specially regarding the negatives,". Obviously he was alluding to my
positions :-). He may be right, under certain circumstances. But heis wrong in its essence.Be all that as may be, while I a

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-13 Thread Chan Mahanta

Hello Mayur:

Welcome to assamnet.

I am delighted to see a newcomer starting out not only participating, 
but taking a lead on a discussion. That is very commendable. I hope 
you will continue to be a contributing member. I also invite all the 
others to participate as well. The net, after all, is what WE make of 
it.

Our good friend, and often my adversary in many a debate,Ram 
Sarangapani told you "---I am sure you are going to get a earful, 
specially regarding the negatives,". Obviously he was alluding to my 
positions :-). He may be right, under certain circumstances. But he 
is wrong in its essence.

Be all that as may be, while I appreciate your efforts at cataloging 
our ethnic attitudinal traits, I will be remiss if I did not point 
out one fundamental fact about such attempts at attributing qualities 
to a group of people, be it positive, be it negative or be it 
neutral: There rarely is any scientific or rational basis to such 
labeling. Why I say that is this:

Almost all of the positive and most all of the negatives too, could 
be attributed to any other group of people in the south Asian 
sub-continent with about the same degree of accuracy.

Furthermore, some of the attributes that you might present as 
positive, could very well be negative, depending on who is doing the 
grading. There are no RIGHT/WRONG, GOOD/BAD measuring standards for 
them. Any qualifying is entirely subjective.

Allow me to give some examples:

Among the pluses you put forth:

Strength of Assamese People / Assam

1. Diverse and rich literary and cultural traditions

2. Favourable climatic condition

3. Healthy and relatively spice less cuisine

4. Great hospitality and relative simplicity of people

5. Fertile land

6. Rich flora and fauna

8. Major producer of  tea and oil

9. Tremendous tourism potential

10. Absence of dowry

 Items 1 thru 4 could apply to any other group depending on who 
is doing the grading. Item 5 may or may not be applicable to all. But 
there might be other
equally useful attributes to make up any land fertility deficiency, 
such as rich in minerals. 6 thru 9 also could have parallel other 
attributes to make up for.

While absence of dowry in Assam USED to be an unique characteristic 
to the region, from what I hear that it changing rapidly now. Is that 
true? Even if it is not so, still out of ten, only one attribute 
could be solidly presented as an unique positive quality of the 
people of Assam.

Similarly on the negatives. I could examine those too. But in order 
not to scare you off with an earful hat Ram warned you of :-). I 
would let you and others think that thru.

Ultimately it all boils down to individuals in a certain group acting 
to preserve and promote one's own unique needs, with the resources 
available, within their various constraints and under the 
circumstances they are in. In that the qualities could not be 
attributable to everyone else in that group as a group 
characteristic, is how I see it.

But it is an enjoyable exercise. Certainly no harm in tossing them 
around, unless they are used for promoting a particular political 
agenda in the guise of a cultural study, like some of our friends 
sometimes tend to do. I have no reason to think that you would 
attempt any such devious tactic to peddle something instead of 
presenting them in a forthright manner, should such a need arise.

Best to you.

cm

At 10:17 AM -0700 9/13/05, mayur bora wrote:
>Dear Friends,
>
>I am new to the mailing list of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Some of the debates among the netizens on issues
>concerning Assam are really interesting. I am sure we
>would be able to provide a new perspective on some
>issues in respect of Assam with the help of our
>collective wisdom. One of the most important issues
>crossing my mind is to find out the relative strengths
>and weaknesses of Assamese people in relation to other
>people of India. I am trying to list below the
>strengths and weaknesses of Assamese people and
>solicit your opinion on that. I am using the word
>Assanese in a broad sense encompassing all those
>people whose mother tongue may not be Assamese, but
>they have some concern for the state. Moreover the
>traits indicated below are general in nature and
>exceptions are not ruled out. The objective of this
>exercise is to find out whether our weaknesses
>outweigh the strengths resulting in the current
>condition of the state vis a vis other states of the
>country.
>
>Strength of Assamese People / Assam
>
>1. Diverse and rich literary and cultural traditions
>
>2. Favourable climatic condition
>
>3. Healthy and relatively spice less cuisine
>
>4. Great hospitality and relative simplicity of people
>
>5. Fertile land
>
>6. Rich flora and fauna
>
>8. Major producer of  tea and oil
>
>9. Tremendous tourism potential
>
>10. Absence of dowry
>
>Weaknesses
>
>1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream due
>to the cavalier attitude shown by caste Hindu
>Assamese. This has resulted in

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-13 Thread umesh sharma

nice observation!
Umeshmayur bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dear Friends,I am new to the mailing list of [EMAIL PROTECTED]Some of the debates among the netizens on issuesconcerning Assam are really interesting. I am sure wewould be able to provide a new perspective on someissues in respect of Assam with the help of ourcollective wisdom. One of the most important issuescrossing my mind is to find out the relative strengthsand weaknesses of Assamese people in relation to otherpeople of India. I am trying to list below thestrengths and weaknesses of Assamese people andsolicit your opinion on that. I am using the wordAssanese in a broad sense encompassing all thosepeople whose mother tongue may not be Assamese, butthey have some concern for the state. Moreover thetraits indicated below are general in nature andexceptions are not ruled out. The objective of thisexercise is to
find out whether our weaknessesoutweigh the strengths resulting in the currentcondition of the state vis a vis other states of thecountry. Strength of Assamese People / Assam1. Diverse and rich literary and cultural traditions 2. Favourable climatic condition3. Healthy and relatively spice less cuisine4. Great hospitality and relative simplicity of people5. Fertile land6. Rich flora and fauna8. Major producer of tea and oil9. Tremendous tourism potential10. Absence of dowryWeaknesses1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream dueto the cavalier attitude shown by caste HinduAssamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense ofmutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a casteHindu myself)2. Emotions getting precedence over logic in the mindsof the people3. Public memory is always short-lived. It seemsshorter in case of
Assamese.4. Inclination to take things lying down. Chalta hai /hobo diok attitude.5. Havoc caused by the annual floods6. Poor law and order condition due to activities ofdifferent insurgent groups.7. All pervasive feeling of tension and terror indifferent parts of the state8. Lack of business sense and entrepreneurial skills9. Aversion for many forms of manual labour and overdependence on others10. Indifference to explore different legal ways ofmaking money like trade in equities, derivatives etc.11. Disturbed demographic composition due to unabatedimmigration of Bangladeshis12. Divisive vote bank politics of all politicalparties13. Govt apathy and indifferent bureaucracy (This ismore or less common for all the states of India)14. Peculiar tendency among Assamese people todenigrate or denounce any other Assamese who hasachieved something. Soku saraha
sabhab15. Poor connectivity16. Infrastructural bottlenecks17. Lack of industries.18. Overdependence on the traditional methods ofagriculture and lack of mechanisation.The list is only indicative not exhaustive. You aremost welcome to add, modify or delete any trait as youdeem fit. Moreover, it has been listed out randomlyand not as per increasing or decreasing order ofimportance/priority.Looking forward to your valuable opinion on the issue.Mayur BoraChandigarh13 Sept 2005__ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-13 Thread umesh sharma

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

2005-09-13 Thread Ram Sarangapani

Dear Bora,
First of all, let me welcome you to the Assamnet. You are right, the debates are really interesting and are usually full of passion.
The list you provided is pretty good. Over the years, netters have discussed many of the issues. I am sure you are going to get a earful, specially regarding the negatives, and you won't be alone at the receiving end. But then, often negatives have to be discussed, at least as some sort of introspection. In the past, we have often trailed into the depths of 'root causes' and cause & effect of these issues, and more often than not, we have never really been able to put any one issue to rest.

I would like to add bondhos as one negative aspect - at least in the frequency of these in Assam, and generally good religious tolerance among people as a positive (as compared to other states).

>4. Inclination to take things lying down. Chalta hai />hobo diok attitude.
heh! heh! heh! The term 'Hobo diok' is a lightening rod issue. Some netters are not going to be happy about the term. :)

My request to you, would be, if you could, to come up with possible solutions to some of the negatives that you have listed. This is just for discussion purposes, and not intended as a 'test' :)
Till then, welcome and happy discussions.
Ram
On 9/13/05, mayur bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dear Friends,I am new to the mailing list of assam@assamnet.org
.Some of the debates among the netizens on issuesconcerning Assam are really interesting. I am sure wewould be able to provide a new perspective on someissues in respect of Assam with the help of our
collective wisdom. One of the most important issuescrossing my mind is to find out the relative strengthsand weaknesses of Assamese people in relation to otherpeople of India. I am trying to list below the
strengths and weaknesses of Assamese people andsolicit your opinion on that. I am using the wordAssanese in a broad sense encompassing all thosepeople whose mother tongue may not be Assamese, butthey have some concern for the state. Moreover the
traits indicated below are general in nature andexceptions are not ruled out. The objective of thisexercise is to find out whether our weaknessesoutweigh the strengths resulting in the currentcondition of the state vis a vis other states of the
country.Strength of Assamese People / Assam1. Diverse and rich literary and cultural traditions2. Favourable climatic condition3. Healthy and relatively spice less cuisine4. Great hospitality and relative simplicity of people
5. Fertile land6. Rich flora and fauna8. Major producer of tea and oil9. Tremendous tourism potential10. Absence of dowryWeaknesses1. Alienation of tribal people from the mainstream due
to the cavalier attitude shown by caste HinduAssamese. This has resulted in disunity and a sense ofmutual mistrust among different tribes. (I am a casteHindu myself)2. Emotions getting precedence over logic in the minds
of the people3. Public memory is always short-lived. It seemsshorter in case of Assamese.4. Inclination to take things lying down. Chalta hai /hobo diok attitude.5. Havoc caused by the annual floods
6. Poor law and order condition due to activities ofdifferent insurgent groups.7. All pervasive feeling of tension and terror indifferent parts of the state8. Lack of business sense and entrepreneurial skills
9. Aversion for many forms of manual labour and overdependence on others10. Indifference to explore different legal ways ofmaking money like trade in equities, derivatives etc.11. Disturbed demographic composition due to unabated
immigration of Bangladeshis12. Divisive vote bank politics of all politicalparties13. Govt apathy and indifferent bureaucracy (This ismore or less common for all the states of India)14. Peculiar tendency among Assamese people to
denigrate or denounce any other Assamese who hasachieved something. Soku saraha sabhab15. Poor connectivity16. Infrastructural bottlenecks17. Lack of industries.18. Overdependence on the traditional methods of
agriculture and lack of mechanisation.The list is only indicative not exhaustive. You aremost welcome to add, modify or delete any trait as youdeem fit. Moreover, it has been listed out randomlyand not as per increasing or decreasing order of
importance/priority.Looking forward to your valuable opinion on the issue.Mayur BoraChandigarh13 Sept 2005__Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
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Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES On his NEgatives

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Re: [Assam] ASSAMESE - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

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