>First off, there is no mechanism in Assam to get such a public debate
going.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 11:01
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] OUR RIVER ISLANDS
ARE GONE!!
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?
*** There is
not enough interest?
*** The
solution concept is politically unpalatable?
*** We are not
informed enough to ask questions or submit alternative
views?
*** That we are
highly unsure of our ability to critically
evaluate anything, even in concept?
*** That we are
so neutered by the need to have the approval of
'phoren' "scientific" blessing that we are
incapable of
evaluating anything on our own?
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
Mahanta
To: Barua25 ;
mc mahant
Cc: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 10:46 PM
Subject: 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?
c
At 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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