Hi Mayur: > But to find out my kindness or cruelty, you >have to capitalise on abstract yardstick.
**** I knew that all too well. It is highly subjective. And that is exactly why it is not a reliable benchmark. When you attempt to compare Assamese ethnic qualities with say, Haryanese, the result would be dependent on YOUR perceptions of the people of Haryana, which you have formed over whatever period you lived in Chandigarh. Would it be therefore a reliable assessment? Heck no! Not by a long shot. You just demonstrated in the other post how you assessed the 'sentimental', 'not logical/rational' quality of the Oxomiya from one assessment of a group of rioters, even though you lived in Assam and grew up there, and thus could be expected to be more thoughtful and perceptive in your assessments. If I used your method to judge the people of Haryana, considering the 1984 Sikh pogroms or last month's incineration of sixty 'dalit' houses; I would call them nothing less than genocidal maniacs that do not deserve to be called human. And worse still the Gujaratis based on the post Godhra massacres. But would that be correct? That is why I asked you whether you thought the perception of Punjabis in Chandigarh about Assam as a land full of violent and murderous people a fair or correct one and the related questions. I still await you answer. Take care, cm At 1:07 AM -0700 9/18/05, mayur bora wrote: >Dear Mahanta da > >You will find my detailed response in the earlier >mail. Regarding benchmark, I want to give one example. >To determine my height or weight, you have concrete >benchmark. But to find out my kindness or cruelty, you >have to capitalise on abstract yardstick. No engineer >or architect can concretise it. > >I hope that makes my position clear. > >Let us not waste our time by looking for something >which we know that it does not exist. > >Regars as always > >Mayur >Chandigarh >--- Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Hi Mayur: >> >> >> >So go at it my friend. Prove your mettle. Define >> your benchmark, and >> >I promise >to assist you with all the deep dark >> shortcomings of your >> >people and mine, the >kharkhowas. >> >> >> >> >> *** Remember the above :-)? I was hoping to see you >> define the >> benchmark with which you were aiming to judge the >> Assamese people's >> 'strengths and weaknesses'. That was my ONLY >> condition. You need a >> yardstick to measure something. Short/long, >> better/worse, >> deeper/shallower and the like are meaningless terms, >> nebulous, unless >> you also can say compared to what, measured with >> what, based on what >> benchmark as the norm? That should not be too hard >> a concept for you >> to understand I am sure. >> >> The point is, your attempts to judge Assamese >> 'strengths and >> weaknesses' is faulty in its essence, because you >> were going to use >> the ethnic/cultural traits of those 'other Indians', >> which by >> themselves are, of necessity, subjective. >> Why should THOSE other INDIANS be the benchmark to >> judge the >> Assamese? And what is the validity of the >> PERCEPTIONS ( they are not >> absolute measures, as you realize) about those other >> Indians? >> >> Therefore, your exercise was going to be an >> arbitrary comparison of >> Assamese cultural/sociological traits, to validate >> your own >> perceptions. >> >> Question is why do you need to do that? To feel >> good about your >> ethnic /cultural traits, or feel bad about? >> >> Form your many notes it is abundantly clear that >> your pre-occupation >> is with a desire to underscore individuals' negative >> traits and slap >> them on to the entire people as a label. The >> attempt is to make the >> exercise seem legitimate, scientific, or >> comprehensive, by inviting >> Assam Netters to chime in. >> >> Question is why? I have no trouble believing you >> that it is not >> another backdoor political ploy that I have seen in > > Assam Net in the >> past. But it is a meaningless pursuit. >> >> Of course you have all the rights and privileges :-) >> as an >> assam-netter to continue the endeavor. And I am sure >> there will be >> the usual participants in the exercise too. But what >> will it mean? >> >> >> >> >But Mahanta da, I am not criticising you. >> >> *** Feel free to do so. That is what I am here for. >> I am aware of my >> role as the fire-starter of Assam net, raising >> passions, waking >> people up to vent their disagreements and even >> angers, a role I >> relish :-). I have also >> noticed over the many years in this forum, that when >> I take a nap >> others too doze off--something that is not good. I >> hope someone like >> you would be there to fill in , just so we keep >> ,this juhalor mel >> going over the ancient 'tunh-jui' of our unfulfilled >> collective hopes >> and desires :-). >> >> >> Finally, there is another grave problem with your >> premises. I will >> show that in the next post. >> >> Take care, >> >> c-da >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> At 2:23 AM -0700 9/17/05, mayur bora wrote: >> >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: >> > >> >=== message truncated === > > > > >__________________________________ >Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 >http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
