Rajen:
I think I understand what you are driving at.
What you are looking for is an informed public
debate on the subject, which obviously is missing. But how you present
it is, well, somewhat surreal, considering the ways of doing things
under desi-demokrasy and the public discourse associated with it. But
I will not attempt to needle you on that, instead focus on the essence
of it, assuming my hunch is correct about what you would like to see
and hear.
First off, there is no mechanism in Assam to get such a public
debate going. The news media, which will be required to provide the
space and coverage, rarely do that. Oh there are isolated instances of
providing exposure to opinions here and there., but there is
absolutely no history in the media of supportinbg a discourse.
The government, past or present , has even less of such a track
record. In fact. it has, in the past, actively worked towards
squelching such discourses. One good recent example is Assam
Govt's pulling the plug on the seminar on Nelly where the Japanese
researcher's ( from JNU) presentation was stopped hours before
it was going to be presented at the OKD Institute headed by Sanjib
Baruah.
In the case of RIL no one has been yet been able to see the
PFRs, in spite of an express order from the SXC to make them public
and put them on the WEB. Very recently the Gujarat Govt. declared it
won't make it public, inviting an SC counter declaration that the
Gujarat Govt. does not have the right to declare a choice on the
matter, that the SC's order stands. But WHO will enforce it, is the
big question? But rest assured, I am not going to hold my
breath.
The sole example of something useful here is the book written by
Dinesh Mishra
-- Living With The Politics of Flood/ The Mystery of Flood
Control, originally in Hindi, but since translated into English. The
OKD Peace Inst. once ( prior to Sanjib Baruah's tenure there) promised
to have it translated into Assamese, but since reneged. While I don't
know the circumstances under which the Institute reneged, I have a
pretty good hunch about the reasons.
Anyway, I requested Mukul Dada to see if he could get it
translated into Assamese. I believe he has it in the works--with Oxom
Baani ( Assam Bani). I hope it is progressing. If a sustained
discussion could be maintained, with fair and informed participation,
it would certainly increase awareness and possible enlightened
solutions in the arena.
Mukul Dada ( Mike Mahant), who is my eldest brother, also has
studied the Brahmaputra flooding and erosion phenomena for a long
time, and put forth a conceptual solution, which I posted in Assam Net
for comments, at least three years back. But I recall NOT a question,
not a comment, not a response. And that from a forum of Assam's MOST
INFORMED and well educated elite. Why?
I will give you another example here: Recently Indian Govt.
floated responses
to its poorly prepared EIR for the Lower Subansiri mega dam. I
was contacted by Himanshu Thakkar to see if I could help in providing
feedback from a NE perspective. But I have no expertise in the
field, even though I am quite able to deal with it in a conceptual
level. So I tried to get input from people with proven expertise. One
was Dr. Umesh Tahbildar, whose report you might have seen here in
Assam Net. I also contacted another person in an 'ELITE" Indian
University, who expressed desire to provide feedback. However, he was
extremely cautious, and was very hesitant to present his views under
his own name, in his professional letterhead.
Why do you think it was so?
For a very good reason: In India there is little, if any, of real
ACADEMIC FREEDOMS. If your employer is the govt., which it invariably
is, what are the chances of your ability to speak freely about
anything against a POLITICALLY
charged issue? What are the chances of taking someone like
President Kalam, the same president who waxed eloquent at Guwahati on
the need for "scientific thinking", on? Very little,
if any, if you asked me.
Few if any who have spoken out against RIL are active
"professionals". For a very good reason: they cannot afford
to jeopardize their livelihoods. Fortunately some highly respected
people have taken a stand. These are either
retired"professionals", academicians, associated with the
very few independent institutions or otherwise of high international
repute and are thus immune to 'sorkari'/ political intimidation. BTW,
those who are 'independent' are so, because they have alternate
sources of making a living, or receive aid from
'foreign' sources, and thus inviting charges of being
"anti-National"s and "foreign-agents" with an
anti-Indian agenda.
For such reasons, your expectations about a "scientific
report" is surreal and very simplistic at best.
But the good news is this: You and others can and should debate
the merits of Mukul Dada's proposal, even if only in concept. If you
cannot do that in Assam Net, there is not a chance that it would
happen in Assam. Besides, the 'sorkari' proposals are rehashes of the
same old prescriptions that have resulted in what Assam, Bihar etc.
continue to reel under. What are our alternatives?
You must have seen how Assam Tribune did not print my response to
its news report about the BJP admin's Water Resources Minister's vague
answer that the Brahmaputra Board has been studying the matter. We
know they have been doing it for nearly thirty or so years. The
question is what are its conclusionss? What are their proposals for
solutions? What have they done so far? If a bunch of netters had
followed up on that letter I wrote, who knows, perhaps we could have
generated a discussion or a debate. But did you? Where were these
eager to scrutinize netters?
Finally, this is what my view is:
If people like you or I are unable to do our fair share in
generating such discourses and debates, who will? And if we attempt to
STIFLE such a discourse, by seeking its "scientific "
pedigree, even before examining the concept, what does it say
about our objectivity, our credibility ?
You tell me.
c
At 12:01 AM -0500 9/12/05, Barua25 wrote:
Chandan:
I don't know if I missed what you posted. But if I missed any such professionbal report that you posted, would you mind posting it again.
The term Scientific Com,munity should not be confusing at all. The progress of science in general occurs through someone proposing a hypotheisis and the majorirty of the scienfic community accepting it as truth when it is declared a theory. The Round Earth theory, Heliocentric Solar System theory, Constant Speed of light etc all scientific theoriris were advancaed like this. Contrary to popular belief the Scientific world is very a opinionated world. A truth must be established by convincing many other scientists. Till a hypotheis is accepeted by the majorirty in the scientific community as truth it is debatable.
So far as RIL is concerened, if the President has opposed the majorirty scientific community in India, then he cannot sustain. Eventually the majorirty will sway the opinion.
In case of Brahmaputra Flood control, again I am asking a very simple question. Is there any professional scienfitic report which has been accepted by the majorirty. Or is it also like the RIL which is still being debated? If it is only Ajad who is opposing, my question is what was the view of the scientific community before Ajad came into the picrure?
Again I have not seen any professional report on Brhmaputra flood which has been accepeted as the desired solution other than various people's loose opinion whcih simpley make it more confusing. Please post if there is any report on the subject.
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
From: Chan MahantaTo: Barua25 ; mc mahantCc: [email protected]Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 10:46 PMSubject: Re: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS ARE GONE!!Rajen:Two things to note:1: Do you keep tab on all that appears in Assam Net? If you do, how did you miss what I posted?2:Who is this "--- scientific co community" comprised of, and is capable of passing verdicts?India's top self-appointed "scientist", APJ Kalam, from his bully pulpit at Hastinapur has ignored/brushed aside the Indian scientific community's opposition to Riverlinking. So who is the 'scientific community' that you put your faith in? The people who know about rivers, hydrology, geology and the environment, or a rocket engineer, or who-have-you?cAt 10:34 PM -0500 9/11/05, Barua25 wrote:
> Do I see Sarcasm here?
No I am 100% honest.
In the last 50 years of my experience, I have not seen a thing in any Assamese media or any NGO discussing this.
Neither I have seen anything in this net.
I saw lots of discussion on River Linking Projects for saving Narmada etc but not a thing on Brahamaputra.
Again my question is there an authentic report on Brhamaputra Flood Control which is accepted by the scientific community or is it still under debate?
The next question will be if there is an professional report accepted by the scientific co community, why it is not Being implemented a or why there is no movement or lobby?
What is lacking?
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
From: "mc mahant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS ARE GONE!!
> <<Professional Report with feasibility study >>>
>
>
> Do I see Sarcasm here?
> You need to visit me here for basic hydraulics.
>
> Re the Captioned items you will find loads quoted in Mishraji's hilarious
> accounts of Govt vs Floods
>
> mm
>
>
>
> >From: "Rajen Barua" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: "mc mahant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >CC: <[email protected]>
> >Subject: Re: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS ARE GONE!!
> >Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 12:06:48 -0500
> >
> > If and when The Luit is dug up rationally we will get 15 Lakh Ha new
> >/Virgin
> > > farmland with
> > > massive crop yields.Communize these new Lands
> > > mm
> >
> >Dear MC:
> >I wonder if there is any professional Report with feasibility study on the
> >above proposal for public knowledge for ignorant guys like me.
> >How do I believe this is not another RIL scheme? Is there any lobby going
> >on? How do I believe it is not another slogan?
> >Rajen
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "mc mahant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Cc: <[email protected]>
> >Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 11:41 AM
> >Subject: Re: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS ARE GONE!!
> >
> >
> > > Anupam,
> > > You discovered SCORES of Islands. There are Thousands.
> > > Mias went there because your ancestors did not know soil nutrients
> >science.
> > > Mias also know nothing of that. They have only these as their"
> > > Lebensraum".How did they get in?
> > > Majuli is no Island. Come to me -I shall show at Guahati
> > > If you are in USA you can see with Chan Mahanta
> > > If and when The Luit is dug up rationally we will get 15 Lakh Ha new
> >/Virgin
> > > farmland with
> > > massive crop yields.Communize these new Lands
> > > mm
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: "mc mahant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > >CC: [email protected]
> > > >Subject: Re: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS ARE GONE!!> > > >Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 07:03:29 +0530
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >From: anupom rajkhowa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > >To: [email protected]
> > > > >Subject: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS ARE GONE!!
> > > > >Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 11:44:52 -0700 (PDT)
> > > > >
> > > > >I happen to travel from Dibrugarh to Tezpur by motorboat on the
> >mighty
> > > > >Brahmaputra some time back on a documentary assignment. You will have
> >to
> > > > >see to believe the immense beauty and massiveness of the natural
> >river
> > > > >islands. Assam is I think the only such place in India with such a
> >huge
> > > > >natural treasure. But beauty and richness apart, what shocked me was
> >the
> > > > >unending presence of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants on most of the
> >bigger
> > > > >islands including Majuli. And trust me, there are scores of such
> >large
> > > > >sized islands. As these islands are hidden from the mainland, these
> > > >illegal
> > > > >immigrants go unnoticed. And I was shocked to learn that most of them
> >are
> > > > >voters. These islands are very rich with natural manure and as a
> >result
> > > > >yield very rich organic crops. And the products are sold in the
> >mainland.
> > > > >
> > > > >Bangladeshi problem is the mother of all problems in Assam. What is
> >the
> > > > >solution? Another andolan?? But where is the leader?? I wonder what
> >ULFA
> > > > >plans on this front. But they have already made Dhaka their capital
> >!!
> > > >What
> > > > >to do??
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >Anupom Rajkhowa
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >---------------------------------
> > > > > Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >_______________________________________________
> > > > >assam mailing list
> > > > >[email protected]
> > > > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >assam mailing list
> > > >[email protected]
> > > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > assam mailing list
> > > [email protected]
> > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> > >
>
>
>
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