C'da, Sorry to butt into the conversation, but I just couldn't help my self thinking that this idea of an independent Assam is based more on emotions (not that it is bad) and less on practicallity.
For instance, the following, > Assam will welcome limited number of immigrants, like you are in the USA, in > a >controlled manner; will be my guess about how an independent Assam will > deal >with the issue. Similarly India may or may not allow immigrants from > Assam in >their midst. But contemporary realities will dictate that both, an > independent >Assam and India will retain cultural contacts and will have > mutual economic >interests, resulting in a friendly and neighborly existence. I find very hard to imagine coming into fruition. Those who wish for an independent Assam should be able to tell the rest of us how and when they would be able to solve the following problems: Illegal immigration from Bangladesh. If the GOI for whatever reason has NOT been able (or willing) to stem this problem, how will (a much weaker economically and militarily, newly formed, independent Assam) Assam SOLVE this huge problem? Corruption: While it is agreed that corruption is rife all over India, people will tell you that Assam takes the cake. Even if this analyses is only 50% correct, how will this new Assam, well-taught in the art of corrupt practices by those damned Indians for decades, suddenly become a paragon of virtue? Question is, can you take this 'Indian trait' out of the Assamese in this new state? Or will this new nation have a mass infusion of virtuous people from some other continent? Infrastructure: I had the opportunity to talk to a variety of people this time around. What most expressed was this in summation: There are no industries. The thing that flourishes most is Trading and Retail. But there are no industries that have come up - like steel mills, auto factories etc that can provide local jobs. Yes, we have Oil, Tea and Plywood. I am not sure of the figures, but keep hearing that production capacities have dwindled. In fact, it seems, tea is not doing well in the world market at all, and the gardens in Assam are undergoing huge problems. How long will it take to build some reasonable infrastructure? Intellectual Capital: Will an independent Assam have enough of this? Will all the Assamese intellectuals go back? Will the new nation import from other countries? From India? What type of government would they want for the new state? This is a serious question, specially if one were to look at Bangladesh? After independence, B'desh too wanted big things, no corruption, rule of law, democracy etc. After, umpteen years, the biggest export B'desh has had is humans across the border. In every other aspiration, they have failed, and is essentially a failed state heavily dependent on doles from other nations. If I am not mistaken, even countries like Nepal and Pakistan render aid to B'desh. Question is, how will Assam NOT follow the B'desh example. The reason I bring up B'desh is because geographically and culturally Assam is more akin to B'desh than say Latvia. Area: What geographical area will this new nation consist of? Will parts of Assam be given to our brothers/sisters in Nagaland? Essentially, what is the land area that will be called Assam. Is there a map? Lastly, money: Will the new nation be able to sustain itself or go-a-begging like every other 3rd-world country? Of course, begging is not a recourse, because every nation that will be willing to help will certainly attach strings, which in turn will obviously erode the very freedoms that people wanted. I could go on. What I am really trying is to see if those who is advocating an independent Assam are looking into this aspiration with reality in mind and not just emotions. Are these people willing to bring out a broad plan and show the rest of us of the sheer feasibility of an independent Assam. At least that would be nice, instead of going around in circles. --Ram On 12/28/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You asked just one question that needed answering: > > >8) Don't you think your policy will take away the basic freedom of an > Indian to live anywhere freely in any state in >India? Today an Assamese can > live in Gujarat, buy property, and remain as Assamese. Don't you think your > >policy will take away this basic freedom? > > > *** Indians can live in India, their homeland. Assam will welcome limited > number of immigrants, like you are in the USA, in a controlled manner; will > be my guess about how an independent Assam will deal with the issue. > Similarly India may or may not allow immigrants from Assam in their midst. > But contemporary realities will dictate that both, an independent Assam and > India will retain cultural contacts and will have mutual economic interests, > resulting in a friendly and neighborly existence. > > This has become necessary due to the ABSENCE of the checks and balances of a > democratic Indian state the people of Assam hoped for and banked on when > they agreed to join India when the British left, leaving them exploited and > robbed of their rights in their own homeland. > > *** Everything else you ask are questions contrived to keep Assam as a > colony for Indian interests. Your concerns for the rights of the indigenous > peoples of the region is, and their cultural/language identities are at > best, affected ones and lack sincerity, as could be well ascertained from > some of your own arguments right here in this forum; as in your taunting of > Tarun Gogoi et al, for NOT having the GUTS to enforce Assamese as the state > language of Assam, 'even after India has given Assam the permission' or some > such assertions. > > Your arguments, as seen often here, are attempts to have it both ways; > demonstrating an underlying need for recognition driving you, and not > necessarily for the best of the people of Assam. > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 12:44 AM -0600 12/28/05, Barua25 wrote: > "Assam IS for the Assamese -- those who BELONG to Assam. It is their > homeland. It includes many different ethnic groups. Ahoms, Bodos, Dimasas, > Misings, Karbis-- etc. etc. Assam is NOT the homeland for Biharis, not for > Marwaris, not for B'deshis. They can be guests there. And become Assamese in > time thru a process of assimilation. But they cannot REMAIN itinerant > Marwaris and Biharis and B'deshis but claim to be Assamese at the same time. > That is the difference" - Chandan Mahanta (Jan 26, 2005) > Chandan: > No I have not asked you the questions yet. Many questions arise out of your > above statement; Following are some. > 1) What exactly the slogan : Assam IS for Assamese mean? What is the > definition of an Assamese. > Mr Dhiren Bezbarooah told me this time that they had been asked at one time > to leave Assam as some people donot consider them to be Assamese. Where do > you think this Assam for Assamese will end? > 2) Does Assam for Assamese mean that only Assamese language will be > considered as the national language of Assam? What about other languages? > 3) You mentioned about being assimilated into Assamese to be an Assamese. > With what yardstick, you measure the process of 'assimilation"? Ability to > speak Assamese and dance Bihu Dance? Does it mean those who have not > assimilated into Assamese by your standard will not get equal right in > Assam? Will they have voting right? Will they be taxed more than an > Assamese? > 4) Will the children of Assamese parents living outside Assam be considered > as Assamese although they donot know how to speak Assamese and dance Bihu > dance (that is if that is the yardstick)? > 5) Some ethnic groups like the Bodos have not assimilated into the Assamese, > and never intend to and most of them actually claim not to be considered as > Assamese at all but to be considered as Bodos and are claiming for separate > Bodoland. Where they will fit in your scheme for Assam for Assamese? What > about the Dimasas, Mising and others? What if they donot want to be > considered as Assamese? Do they have any freedom in choice, or is ir a leave > it or take it policy by force? > 6) You have not shown the Bengalis in Assam who have been living in Assam > for ages and who love Assam but who want to remain as Bengalis, maintaining > their separate culture, where they will fit? Can they claim Assam as their > homeland? Will they be second-class citizens in Assam? > 7) Same thing goes for Nepalis, Marwaris, Biharis, Bangladeshi and others > who have been living in Assam for aghes, have landed property in Assam but > donot want to assimilate and claim as Assamese, what will be their fate? Why > you want them to assimilate into Assamese? Again what is the crieria of > assimilation? Speaking Assamese and dancing Bihu dance? > 8) Don't you think your policy will take away the basic freedom of an Indian > to live anywhere freely in any state in India? Today an Assamese can live in > Gujarat, buy property, and remain as Assamese. Don't you think your policy > will take away this basic freedom? > 9) Don't you think your above policy will farther divide the people of > Assam? Is this not the reason why we lost the Khasis, the Nagas, the Lusais, > the Garos and others because of Assamese hegemony among them. > 10) Do you find such policy in any country? Texas for Texans only etc? Thus > is it not against basic individual freedom of people? > > Anyhow this is flatly not my Assam. Later I will tell you what policy will > be in force in my Assam. > > RB > > > _______________________________________________ > 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
