Hello Mahanta Da
Biologial age is not so important. Your passion for
the issues you stand for adequately explains that you
are quite young at heart. Mahanta da, on a lighter
note, I am tempted to say that you can give Indian
politicians a run for their money. Like those
politicians, you promise me something in one mail ; I
wait for it eagerly, but next time you give some other
condition to part with your information. Alpana who
knows you much better than I do, is probably right. In
your book, there is possibly no shortcoming in respect
of kharkhowas.
On a more serious note, there are plethora of reasons
for misconception about Assamese in the minds of all
other Indians. We will leave the reasons for the time
being for some other debate at a future date. But
should we not ponder over our collective failure to
portray a correct picture, not by going out of the
way, but as and when opportunity comes ? In the mind
of a common and educated Indian, Assam means a lot of
hills, rhino, Bhupen Hazarika, Asom Gana Parishad,
Kamakhya, Bihu, people with mongoloid features and of
course a lot of violence. May be it has some shades of
truth here and there, but it is a very hazy and
confusing mixture. One must admit that it exists in
India. I don't know what is the status in USA.
My premise regarding listing out the strengths and
weaknesses does not rest at all on anecdotal evidence.
Because no evidence can be anectotal. It has to be
real in the current scenario when it is evaluated. On
the other hand, the backbone of this kind of exercise
is bound to be based on perceptions. There is nothing
wrong in that. In fact, I failed to understand what
you meant by that. I made my position abundantly clear
earlier also that benchmark in behovioural studies
will always be abstract and will be motivated by the
personal biases and prejudices of the observer. Man
can not be machine.
I wish I were sharp or knowledgable enough to entirely
comprehend your point of view. With your kind
permission, I want to say something. Please don't take
it otherwise. I feel sometimes clarity becomes a
casualty in your writing making it difficult for a
duffer like me. But Mahanta da, I am not criticising
you. There are other wise netters who would probably
be able to cull out what exactly you meant.
As far as I am concerned, I am still waiting for you
to tell us our shortcomings, notwithstanding what
Alpana said.
Bye for now.
Mayur
--- Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi Mayur:
>
>
> At 11:48 PM -0700 9/15/05, mayur bora wrote:
> >HI MAHANTA DA
> >
> >STARTLED BY QUITE A FEW POINTS OF YOUR LATEST MAIL.
> >NEVER DID I SAY THAT ONE CULTURE SHOULD PLAY
> SECOND
> >FIDDLE TO THE OTHER WHETHER IT IS IN ASSAM,
> BANGLADESH
> >OR USA. HAD I THOUGHT ON THOSE LINES, I WOULD NOT
> HAVE
> >CATEGORISED IT AS A WEAKNESS AT THE FIRST PLACE.
>
>
>
> **** I don't know that anyone charged you with those
> crimes :-). But
> someone on an introspective mission, forgetting
> about the essential
> companion of 'mainstream', the 'subordinate' ones
> was what took us
> into the arena.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >
> >SECONDLY, I AM NOT ASHAMED OF TAKING ANTIDOTE FROM
> A
> >LEARNED MAN LIKE YOU. FOR THAT MATTER, I CAN TAKE
> IT
> >FROM ANYONE. FORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A MISPLACED
> >SENSE OF EGO TO PREVENT ME FROM TAKING IT FROM
> ANYONE
> >PROVIDED I GET A MEANINGFUL ANTIDOTE. BUT I AM NOT
> >COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT I AM ASHAMED OF SOMETHING
> >WHEN I AM ACTUALLY NOT. SO PLEASE DON'T FOIST ANY
> >DISCOMFORT DOWN MY NECK WHEN I DON'T FEEL ANY BEING
> IN
> >CHANDIGARH AMIDST PUNJABIS AND HARYANVIS.
>
>
>
> **** No need for explanations. My response was to
> the charge that I
> was indulging in the same kind of judging the
> Punjabis. But I am
> still unclear on HOW you would respond to the
> Haryani perception of
> the Assamese? Is their perception correct? If not
> why so?
>
> These are critical questions. I hope you will
> attempt to answer them.
> Because exactly the same questions would apply when
> you attempt to
> weigh the traits of the Assamese people, and you
> will have to be able
> to defend your asessments.
>
> >LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, I AM AMAZED AT YOUR
> HONESTY.
>
> *** I don't blame you . I treasure honesty, 'kuber'
> like. But
> occasionally I slip and slivers of my stash escape.
> It is an
> exception, not the norm of my
> self :-).
>
>
> > >HONESTY TO STICK YOUR NECK OUT AND ANNOUNCE THAT
> YOU
> >KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR WEAKNESSES THAN WE CAN IMAGINE.
>
>
> **** You are being very naive about this Mayur.
> Obviously your youth
> and experience has a lot to do with that. One thing
> you must remember:
>
> You cannot, but cannot, judge an entire group of
> people based on
> anecdotal evidence or perceptions. That is the
> fundamental problem
> with your endeavor.
>
> But if you still don't buy the notion, I will be
> pleased to show you
> with some examples next time.
>
>
> >YOU MUST BE SENIOR TO ME IN AGE AND DEFINITELY MORE
> >EXPERIENCED IN LIFE.
>
> **** Yes, I am what is called a 'geezer' here in the
> USA, an old and
> decrepit person :-).
>
>
> Take care.
>
> cm
>
>
>
>
>
> >CATALOGUING OF DIFFERENT FEATURES OF ASSAMESE WOULD
> >DEFIINITELY HELP IN INTROSPECTION AND REFLECTION.
> IT
> >IS LEFT TO THE PEOPLE. IF WE CAN MOTIVATE EVEN 1%
> OF
> >PEOPLE TO REFLECT ON THEIR STRENGTHS AND
> WEAKNESSES,
> >IT WOULD BE OUR SUCCESS.
> >
> >REGARDING BENCHMARK, YOU ARE AWARE THAT IN ARTS OR
> ANY
> >BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, BENCHMARK IS SUBJECTIVE. IT
> WOULD
> >BE INVIDIOUS TO COMPARE AN ARCHITECTURUL BENCHMARK
> >WITH THAT OF SOMETHING IN ARTS. NO ONE CAN QUANTIFY
> A
> >BENCHMARK WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE BEHAVIOURAL
> >TRAITS OF ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE. IT IS OUT AND OUT A
> >SUBJECTIVE ISSUE. GENERALLY IN LIFE ALSO, THERE IS
> NO
> >BLACK AND WHITE ON ANY ISSUE. THERE ARE BOUND TO BE
> >INNUMERABLE SHADES OF GREY IN BETWEEN. BUT IN STEAD
> OF
> >GETTING PERPLEXED BY THE GREYS, DON'T YOU FEEL IT
> >WOULD BE WISER TO BE ENLIGHTENED BY THEM ?
> >
> >LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, I AM AMAZED AT YOUR
> HONESTY.
> >HONESTY TO STICK YOUR NECK OUT AND ANNOUNCE THAT
> YOU
> >KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR WEAKNESSES THAN WE CAN IMAGINE.
> >YOU MUST BE SENIOR TO ME IN AGE AND DEFINITELY MORE
> >EXPERIENCED IN LIFE.
> >
> >I AM SURE EVERYONE WOULD BE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR
> >THE DEEP DARK SHORTCOMINGS OF KHARKHOWAS FROM YOU.
> >
> >THANKS ONCE AGAIN. I AM GETTING LOT OF FOOD FOR
> >THOUGHT, I MUST ADMIT.
> >
> >REGARDS
> >
> >MAYUR
> >CHANDIGARH
> >
> >--- Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Mayur:
> >>
> >> First off, I congratulate you on a finely
> composed
> > > response.
> >>
> >> Next, allow me to get some extraneous matters
> out of
> >> the way so we can
> >> get back to your original aim of cataloguing the
> >> "--strengths and
> >> weaknesses of Assamese people--".
> >>
> >>
> >> > > Whether you accept it or not, academic
> >> >discussion sometimes gets stifled under the
> weight
> >> of
> >> >its high sounding words.
> >>
> >> *** I am neither an academic nor am I into
> throwing
> >> around
> >> high-sounding words regardless of meaning or
> >> context. I am not a
> >> literateur, not a linguist, not a devotee of
> >> language purity. For me
> >> language, first and foremost, is a tool for
> >> communication. With that
> >> intro. I must say I have no clue about what you
> >> write above.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > >The first weakness indicated
> >> >earlier is nothing but a testimony of my deeply
> >> >ingrained belief that whatever is observed in
> the
> >> >relationship between the Assamese speakers and
> >> other
> >> >tribal groups is grossly unjust and
> unacceptable.
>
=== message truncated ===
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