Re: [Assam] Fwd: Study on Assam -Centre for Policy Alternatives

mc mahant Fri, 04 Nov 2005 18:13:19 -0800

<<<<I think Walt Whitman was trying to show that 'not to complain' is rather a quality. I like poetry because you learn many new things. Anyhow, I rather will call it the difference between man and animal, and leave it at that. >>>

Don't be too sure they are not complaining.

Complaining manifests in many different ways--joining ULFA/NDFB, becoming SULFA/BLT, graduating onto Politics /becoming bum journalists, culture vultures,NGO's,successful wine(sic) bottlers.......And no producers-because the monied will buy only TV advertized brands.

Can't blame the Primary school teacher for getting a monthly salary of Rs 10,000/- that is at par with Delhi 4 th grade jobs!!Never mind his next door subsistence peasant demands Rs 150/- for a skinny duck. List goes on .

Correction needed is OXOMIYA TOKA.

From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Rajen Barua" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Study on Assam -Centre for Policy Alternatives
Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 16:12:46 -0600

At 3:51 PM -0600 11/2/05, Rajen Barua wrote:

Then we can really declare that the people of Assam are the worst in the entire North East region, worst then Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh etc. In fact then we can really declare the people of Assam are just a flock of sheep without any shepherd. They even donot know where the green grass is.

Now the basic question is: Are the people of Assam complaining of their lot or not. Or are they in fact enjoying the lot.

The answer will determine basically what types are the people of Assam.

**** These have nothing to do with the question I raised. Obviously they are not hard questions. But the answers cause a lot of discomfiture and point to what led to ULFA's birth. The answers destroy the unspoken hypotheses. I asked the question because the answers have been playing out for 58 years. Only those with blindfolds on haven't been able to see them.

I have one explanation for the case.

Walt Whitman the American poet said (or wrote a poem which says basically) that he prefers living with the animals compared to men because according to him the animals have one great quality: they donot complain and make their life more miserable by complaining.

I think Walt Whitman was trying to show that 'not to complain' is rather a quality. I like poetry because you learn many new things. Anyhow, I rather will call it the difference between man and animal, and leave it at that.

*** And what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

The idea of distributing the report freely amongst the general public of Assam is to test, a real test, if they get angry or not by reading the report. If they get angry, we have good news, we will know that they are living like human beings, and now that they know the problem, 50% of the problem is solved. We will figure out how to fix the balance 50% of the problem.

We are trying jump start the democracy (by-the-people part). Let the people say, if they want to live like that or if they want to change.

*** I have no quarrel with that. All the best on the effort. But the unsaid assumption here is that Assam is unaware of it, which is a gross misconception at best.

You may ask, if they don't get angry, then what? Then brother we will have to find out if they are drugged etc etc.

In worst case, I may decide to read more of Walt Whitman. You have nothing to loose, have you?

Whatever we do,

We believe that both the goal and the process are sacred to us, and both must be transparent to all the people all the time.

We also follow certain basic rules such as never put the cart before the horse etc.

RB

**** As I said I have no use for philosophy under these circumstances.

----- Original Message -----

From: Chan Mahanta

To: Rajen Barua ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [email protected]

Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 3:13 PM

Subject: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Study on Assam -Centre for Policy Alternatives

>It is unfortunate tha neither the political leaders in power nor the opposition have raised the issue >with any vigour. It is the responsibility of Assams political leadership to represent the States >case for better funding. (Highlight is mine)

**** What if they don't, or can't?

And EVEN if they did but nothing happens, then what?

What is the people's recourse here?

At 2:19 PM -0600 11/2/05, Rajen Barua wrote:

This is an official verson of Executive Summary of the Report received from the CPA the publisher. They have also given permission to translate the Report in Assamese. We are planning to publish and distribute report in English and Assamese amongst the general public in Assam. Trying to test if this axiom is true: "If you know the problem, 50% of the problem is solved."

RB

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive Summary:"Left Behind, A Case Study for Assam"

All economic and social indicators highlight the fact that Assam is falling behind other states in the Northeast. It has the highest incidence of poverty, infant mortality, illiteracy in Northeast India. The infant mortality rate in Assam is 78 per 1000. Even Bihar has a lower infant mortality of 67 and the all-India average is 71. Assams HDI ranking is the second lowest in the Northeast.

Assams per capita income of Rs. 6221 is the lowest in the Northeast. Most states of the Northeast in fact have a per capita income of over Rs. 9000. Assam also has the highest incidence of poverty in the Northeast at 36%, as opposed to the national level of 26%. The rate of decline of poverty is also very low in Assam and is well behind the national average, indicating the governments failure in fighting the ills of poverty.

The growth of per capita electricity consumption in Assam is also one of the lowest in the Northeast. While 246 of every 1000 Assamese households are electrified, the corresponding figure for the rest of the Northeast is over 500 per 1000. Some states like Nagaland and Manipur, in fact, have 946 and 848 electrified households for every 1000.

The three main industries of Assam tea, timber and petroleum are also facing serious problems. Profitability is low and production is hampered due to several reasons.

Clearly Assam is falling behind and needs help. However, our study shows that the very state that requires help is the one being largely ignored by the Centre. While all the small states of the Northeast receive generous Central assistance, Assam gets a much smaller per capita allocation. The annual per capita disbursement of grants to Assam was only Rs. 476, while the rest of the Northeast received Rs. 2167 per capita. In terms of per capita development expenditure, Assam receives Rs. 3615 while the Northeast average excluding Assam is almost double that at Rs. 6786 per capita. Assam is also ignored in the Five Year plans. The per capita amount budgeted in the Tenth Five Year Plan is Rs. 3126, whereas the rest of the states in Northeast India received over four times that amount at Rs. 13305 per capita.

Thus the conclusion is clear. Assam has been a victim of neglect by the various Central Governments. It gets lesser funds and subsequently underperforms in all indicators. Central assistance towards Assam needs to increase manifold. In fact, the focus of development in the Northeast should be Assam oriented as over two-thirds of the population resides there. It is unfortunate tha neither the political leaders in power nor the opposition have raised the issue with any vigour. It is the responsibility of Assams political leadership to represent the States case for better funding. (Highlight is mine)

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----- Original Message -----

From: umesh sharma

To: [email protected]

Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 11:56 AM

Subject: [Assam] Fwd: Study on Assam -Centre for Policy Alternatives

shall we read and discuss?

Umesh

Centre for Policy Alternatives <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 06:57:06 +0100 (BST)
From: Centre for Policy Alternatives <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Study on Assam
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], Rajen Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: m c mahant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Dear Sirs

I am attaching with this mail a study on Assam conducted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives. Mr. Guruswamy and myself are the authors of the report.

We hope you find the report both interesting and useful and invite your comments/criticism on the same.

Best Wishes

Ronald Abraham

PS: This report is also available online at:

http://www.cpasind.com/reports/13-Left-Behind-Case-Study-Assam.pdf

Other studies by our Center are also available at www.cpasind.com.

umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Mukul-da,

I am glad that you have taken the initiative in introducing me to Mr Guruswamy. I am currently in Washington and can stay here till June 2006. I am planning to work with poor kids -in school education -across the globe.

I am no expert on economic development issue - but I do agree that Assam's economy has gone down - after independence -as per eco. data - most likely due to carving out of separate nations from British India - such as Burma, Bangladesh etc -which closed trade routes an markets.

It is likely that Assamese businessment - then as now - were not skilled in identifying other markets -- they can (and could) try to follow Japan's shinig example - which has no resources of its own -except the human resource. Japan is an inspiration for any nation which need to adapt to changing circumstances. Japan rose from the ashes in 30 years, Assam sank during the same period.

Negotiations can provide some room for movement but can Assam based individuals reinvent their working - Japan style. Negotiations cannot replace the footwork needed to establish a strong economy in Assam. I wonder how barren Rajasthan or Japan are managing.

Regards.

Umesh

mc mahant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Umesh Dear,

You need to get close to a powerful (literally and figuratively)ex-Harvard man -Mohan Guruswamy- who heads a top Central Govt organisation -"Centre for Policy Alternatives".Tell him if you want to work with him. His E-mail Id is above.

He was here 2 weeks back and spoke on  one thing only --"Assam had been cheated all these years-why don't you go and negotiate?"

Look who is talking!

mm

From:  umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To:  [email protected]
Subject:  [Assam] Harvard MBA Newsletter: Redefining Economic Downturns -ofAssam since 1947??
Date:  Mon, 24 Oct 2005 02:26:00 +0100 (BST)

At India's independence Assam's per capita income was 40% above All India Average -- now it is 30% below. Is it any kind of economic downturn - due to - break up of British empire in India - separate Burma, Bangladesh etc. - and is it due to lack of access -to Bangladesh & SE Asia trade routes, ports and industries etc? Any remedy?

Situation has been addressed at length - by Sanjib-da Baruah earlier in a paper I read once on the net by him. Any comments on possible - political and entrepreneurial solutions?

Umesh

HBS Working Knowledge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:54:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: HBS Working Knowledge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Newsletter: Redefining Economic Downturns

UNKNOWN {       FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } UNKNOWN {   FONT-SIZE: 12px } UNKNOWN {     FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: #ff0000 }

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
Redefining Economic Downturns
HBS Alumni Achievement Awards 2005
Turning on the Tap: Is Water the Next Oil?
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Re: [Assam] Fwd: Study on Assam -Centre for Policy Alternatives

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