Mohan R. Palleti
Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:44:35 -0800
I oppose the resolution to change the name of the state from Assam to Asom, and hereby give my consent to put my name as a signatory to the petition. Full name:MOHAN RAO PALLETI Name of Spouse (optional): RAJANI RAO PALLETI City : RALEIGH Country : USA E-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Please reply to this e-mail with a copy to >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> . Rajen Barua, Katy, Texas, USA, is coordinating > >> the compilation of the names of the signatories >>> and mailing the petition to the Chief Minister of >> Assam. *** That is all there is to it. Thanks for your support. c >Chan: >Please tell me how to sign up against the name change of Assam. Please >give me just one link to which I can respond. > >Many thanks >Mohan > > >> On 12/27/06, Chan Mahanta <> wrote: >>> >>> Hello Netters: >>> >>> We have received forty-three (43) signatories so far, from around the >>> world. >>> But surprisingly, very few Assam Netters have responded. >>> >>> Please stand up and be counted. And if you do not >>> agree, go ahead and express yourselves. Tell us >>> why you don't agree. As a part of the Assam >>> intelligentsia, we owe it to ourselves to speak >>> up and participate in the debate. >>> >>> For if not us, WHO? >>> >>> Best. >>> >>> cm >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> PETITION TO SAVE THE NAME OF ASSAM >>> >>> >>> >>> On 15th December 2006, the State Assembly of Assam adopted a >>> >>> resolution by voice vote to write the name of the State of Assam as >>> >>> 'Asom'. No argument or reasoning was given for the name change, nor >>> >>> any debate was allowed in spite of requests from the opposition. We are >>> >>> starting a general campaign to oppose the government of Assam's >>> >>> resolution to change the name of the state from Assam to Asom. >>> >>> >>> >>> We, a number of friends and well wishers of Assam living in and outside >>> >>> the state are shocked to see the above news report, and hereby >>> >>> register our strong opposition to this entirely unwarranted move on >>> >>> the part of the State Legislature. For this we are circulating the >>> >>> attached petition all over the world to collect signatures from those >>> >>> who support our move. >>> >>> >>> >>> We would like you to support our effort to retain the present name >>> >>> Assam. You may sign the petition, simply by >>> furnishing the information mentioned at the end >>> of this mail. >>> >>> >>> >>> It would be of immense help to us if you would be kind enough to >>> >>> forward this e-mail to your friends who might be willing to support >>> >>> this cause. >>> >>> >>> >>> You are welcome to give your valuable suggestions if any, regarding the >>> >>> petition or any other issues. >>> >>> >>> >>> The letter will also be addressed separately to Mr. Brindaban Goswami, >>> >>> the Opposition Leader, Assam Assembly, as well as copied to the Prime >>> >>> Minister's and Home Minister's office. >>> >>> >>> >>> The petition will be mailed on 1st January 2007 with the first set of >>> >>> Signatures. So please send your replies to us at least by 30th December >>> 2006. >>> >>> >>> >>> Sincerely yours, >>> >>> Chandan Mahanta >>> St. Louis, USA >>> >>> >>>******************************************************************************* >>> >>> - The Map of Bengale published in 1662. >>> >>> >>> <http://www.indiawijzer.nl/links/assam/map_of_bengale.jpg> >>> http://www.indiawijzer.nl/links/assam/map_of_bengale.jpg >>> >>> >>> >>> - Letter of Joan Maetsuyker, Governor General of Dutch Batavia, >>> 29-08-1663 >>> >>> >>> <http://indiawijzer.nl/links/assam/letter_to_mirzumala_1.jpg> >>> http://indiawijzer.nl/links/assam/letter_to_mirzumala_1.jpg >>> >>> >>> >>> - Treaty of Yandaboo, 24-02-1826 >>> >>> < >>> >>>http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/history/primarydocs/Treaties/Burma/002.htm >>> > >>> >>>http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/history/primarydocs/Treaties/Burma/002.htm > >> >>> >>> >>> - Website link with more articles on this issue: >>> >>> <http://www.indiawijzer.nl/links/assam/assam_or_asom.htm> >>> http://www.indiawijzer.nl/links/assam/assam_or_asom.htm >>> >>> >>> >>>****************************************************************************** > >> >>> I oppose the resolution to change the name of the >>> state from Assam to Asom, and hereby give my >>> consent to put my name as a signatory to the >>> petition. >>> >>> Full name: Nayanjyoti Medhi >>> >>> >>> Name of Spouse (optional) >>> >>> >>> >>> City : Guwahati >>> >>> >>> >>> Country : India >>> >>> >>> >>> E-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> >>> >>> Please reply to this e-mail with a copy to >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> . Rajen Barua, Katy, Texas, USA, is coordinating > >> the compilation of the names of the signatories >>> and mailing the petition to the Chief Minister of > >> Assam. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>******************************************************************************* >>> >>> To >>> >>> Mr. Tarun Gogoi >>> >>> Honorable Chief Minister of Assam, >>> >>> Sachibalaya, Dispur, Assam 781006 >>> >>> >>> >>> Dated Houston 1st January, 2007 >>> >>> Sub: State Assembly's Resolution to Change the name of Assam to Asom. >>> >>> Dear Sir: >>> >>> On 15th December, 2006, the State Assembly of >>> Assam adopted a resolution by voice vote to write >>> the name of the State of Assam as 'Asom'. No >>> argument or reasoning was given for the name >>> change, nor any debate was allowed in spite of >>> requests from the opposition. >>> >>> We are a number of friends and well wishers of >>> Assam living in and outside the state, who are >>> shocked to see the above news report. We hereby >>> register our strong opposition to this entirely >>> unwarranted move on the part of the State >>> Legislature for the following reasons: >>> >>> 1. The State's name is not >>> something for changing in as casual a fashion as >>> it has been done, without a thorough and >>> informed public discussion and debate. It was >>> never a mandate of the people. Even the >>> Opposition parties' demand for a debate was >>> summarily cut off in a highly undemocratic >>> fashion. >>> >>> 2. The Legislature did not >>> give a credible set of reasons for the change >>> from the internationally well-recognized name >>> 'Assam' to'Asom'. In these days of >>> 'globalization', to dilute and muddy Assam's >>> international name recognition is entirely >>> counterproductive. >>> >>> 3. There is clear historical >>> evidence that the name of 'Assam' is not a coined >>> word by the British but which had been there long >>> before the British signed the Treaty of Yandaboo >>> on 24th February 1826 and used the word Assam in >>> the treaty. Even from the Ahom Buronjis, we find >>> that the Moghols used the name 'Ashyam' for the >>> state. The same is also evident from the various >>> historical documents from the Moghol period and >>> Dutch chronicles of pre-British period. In >>> Persian publications of Moghol period, like >>> Akbarnama (1542-1605), Padshah-Namah (1627-1647), >>> Alamgir-Namah (1657-1667) and Tarikh-I Mulk-I >>> Áshám , the name Asham is mentioned >>> >>> 4. We attach herewith a copy >>> of a map of the Kingdom of Bengale (Kingdom of >>> Bengal) which was published around 1662. The map >>> was drawn by a Dutchman, John van Leenen, who was >>> in 'Bengale' in 1661. The document is presently >>> in the Maritime Museum, Rotterdam. As can be >>> seen, the name Assam appears on the map. A letter >>> sent by Joan Maertsuyker, Governor-General of >>> Dutch Batavia who congratulated Mirjumala on >>> 29-08-1663 and addressed Mirjumala as >>> 'Grooten Mogol in Assam'. The diary of a Dutchman >>> published in 1675, mentions the name of Assam and >>> the people of Assam as Assamer. The Dutchman was >>> forced to fight alongside the army of Mirjumla in >>> 1662. >>> >>> 5. According to many >>> historians, the phonetic name 'Assam' was derived >>> from the Sanskrit name 'Shyam' (as in Shyam-dex, >>> the name of Thailand), the name of the Shan >>> people who invaded and conquered Kamrup in the > >> 13th century. According to historian Baden >>> Powel, on the other hand, the word 'Assam' might >>> have been derived from even older original Boro >>> word 'Ha-som', meaning low land. Thus we find >>> that the phonetic name of Assam had been with us >>> for at least the last 800 years since the coming >>> of the Tai-Ahoms to our land; even if we ignore >>> the possibility of an earlier Boro origin. >>> >>> 6. At present, non-Assamese >>> speaking people the world over pronounce the name >>> of our state as 'Asam' (where both the initial >>> and the middle 'a' pronounced as 'a' in the word >>> 'father', and 's' as in the word 'sun'). Changing >>> the name to 'Asom' will merely encourage the >>> non-Assamese speakers to pronounce the name of > >> our state as something like 'Osom' or even 'Esom' >>> ( with the 's' being pronounced as in 'sun') as a >>> simple survey will clearly illustrate and thereby >>> defeating any intent of asserting our unique >>> language heritage embedded in the name 'Oxom' >>> (the 'x' here being an internationally recognized >>> representation of the guttural 'kh' sound ). >>> >>> 7. Today our state has two >>> names: 'Assam' internationally and 'Oxom' in >>> Assamese. This is similar to 'India' >>> internationally and 'Bharat' in Indian languages; >>> or 'West Bengal' internationally and 'Poschim >>> Bongo' in Bengali. Such duality does not rob or >>> dilute the states' unique cultural, language or >>> ethnic heritage. >>> >>> 8. Today Assam faces numerous >>> problems which are crying out for the >>> Government's attention and action. But changing >>> the state's ancient name of Assam to a misguided >>> attempt at Roman transliteration of the Assamese >>> name 'Oxom' to 'Asom', with all the associated >>> costs: monetary, cultural and historical, is >>> certainly not one of them. >>> >>> 9. The 'xo' or 'kho' guttural >>> sound is unique to the Assamese language, among >>> the myriad of the sub-continental languages. We >>> should protect and promote this heritage, instead >>> of diluting it to destruction by equating it to >>> the 'so' sound of other languages, as this >>> imposition of 'Asom' by an act of legislative >>> fiat will surely do. >>> >>> Based on the above considerations, we urge you to >>> exercise your leadership in rescinding this >>> un-deliberated, unwise and destructive of >>> an-unique-Assamese-language-heritage act of the >>> Assam legislature forthwith. We will be pleased >>> to furnish additional historical documentation >>> and intellectual arguments to prove our points, >>> should that be necessary. You may kindly contact >>> Rajen Barua of USA (e-mail: >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]) >>> or Wahid Saleh of The Netherlands (e-mail: >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]) for further discussions >>> and clarifications in this regard. >>> >>> Your Sincerely >>> >>> Well Wishers and Friends of Assam >>> >>> 1. Rajen & Ajanta Barua, Katy, Texas, USA >>> >>> 2. Chandan & Bonti Mahanta, St Louis, MO, USA >>> >>> 3. Wahid Saleh, Berkel en Rodenrijs, The Netherlands. >>> >>> 4. Ramgopal Sarangapani, Houston, Texas, USA >>> >>> 5. Partha Gogoi, Washington, DC, USA >>> >>> 6. Ankur Bora, Austin, Texas, USA >>> >>> 7. Rini Kakoty, London, UK >>> >>> 8. Shantikam & Sangeeta Hazarika, Guwahati, Assam >>> >>> 9. Monoj Das, New Delhi, India >>> >>> 10. Chanakya Bora, Noida, India >>> >>> 11. Jayanta & Alakananda Barman, Guwahati, Assam >>> >>> 12. Bidyananda & Kavita Barkakoty, Guwahati, Assam >>> >>> 13. Bikram M Baruah, Abu Dhabi, UAE >>> >>> 14. Shankar Borua, Huntsville, Texas, USA >> >> >> 15. Nayanjyoti Medhi, Guwahati, Assam, India 16. Mohan Rao Palleti >> >> Copy: >>> >>> Honorable Prime Minister of India >>> >>> Honorable Home Minister of India >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> assam mailing list >>> assam@assamnet.org >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>> >> Mohan Rao Palleti Biodiversity and Spatial Information Center Zoology Department, NCSU David Clark Labs 218 Raleigh, NC 27695-7617 919-513-7292 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
