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> I have explained
time and again, WHY that is not possible.
You explained it again and again
the WHY which is 'existing rules of GOI" but you did not
explain HOW?
We are asking the simple question,
HOW, have you ever tried and failed?.
Now that you are evading the
question again and again, we are coming to the obvious conclusion that this
is your another SLOGAN not based on any FACT.
A MYTH cannot win.
RB
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:17
PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Reforms - The
CONCLUSION
At 1:31 PM -0600 1/18/06, Rajen Barua wrote:
>So, rather than me trying to explain the
un-explainable, why don't YOU tell us HOW those of you seeking reforms,
seeking positive changes,will go about >effecting them?
Do
we really need to recreate the wheel? To save time for sake of Assam, I
would rather like to know from people like you who tried reforms and
failed and declared that it is not possible to do any reforms under existing
rule of GOI. All you need to do is to tell us what are these GOI rules
for which you could not do the reforms. That way those who want to try again
would know the pitfalls and would know what not to do. This is a question I
asked you before but you decided to remain silent and act as devil's
advocate instead.
RB
*** You and others have asserted that
Assam
does require reforms ( as does India)
That you guys
are NOT against reforms.
But you are for
effecting those reforms WITHIN the bounds of the
Indian
constitution.
I have
explained time and again, WHY that is not possible.
If you could
not understand that, you will never understand
anything I
might have to say. Not because of a language problem,
but because you
are unable to face the truths about desi-demokrasy.
Therefore it is
YOUR turn to explain HOW you foresee effecting
the changes
that you assert Assam needs and you are FOR.
If you cannot
explain that, it means only one thing: That you
don't have a
clue how.
That, by and of
itself is no crime. Many of us don't.
But those of
you who ASSERT that it COULD be DONE, within the
Indian
constitution's constraints, ought to be able to explain how.
If you
cannot, then you have NO CREDIBILITY on the matter.
No one should
take your word for it, because you don't know what
you are talking
about.
That is why.
----- Original Message -----
From: Chan
Mahanta
To: Ram
Sarangapani
Cc: Rajen
Barua ; Malabika
Brahma ; [email protected] ;
Roy, Santanu
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 11:46 AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Reforms - The
CONCLUSION
>So, now we shouldn't have a desire for reforms? I
am perplexed as usual. :)
*** I know Ram. I know! It is obviously
confounding.
So, rather than me trying to explain the un-explainable, why
don't YOU tell us HOW those of you seeking reforms, seeking positive
changes,will go about effecting them? And how it might be different from
how things are today. Or how such reforms have not come about since the
NEED for them translated into the armed uprising a quarter century
ago?
At 11:30 AM -0600 1/18/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
So, C'da
Whats your prescription to this whole mess?
>That is why to assert a desire for reforms, for
positive change, therefore, is an untenable >notion. And explains
your observation:
So, now we shouldn't have a desire for reforms? I
am perplexed as usual. :)
--Ram
On 1/18/06, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>The trick is
to have a regional party in Assam (without any bosses in Delhi) whom
people of Assam can trust more >than national
parties.
**** Thanks. Brilliant idea! Come to think of it, it was
staring at my face but never saw it. But that is me!
At 11:17 AM -0600 1/18/06, Rajen Barua wrote:
>It is further complicated by the
fact that the election system is rigged in such a way, that the
"National" party bosses rule how their stooges at the state level
shall >behave. The Assam legislators' election and existence is
entirely dependent on the discretion of their bosses and the money
bags from Dilli.
The trick is to
have a regional party in Assam (without any bosses in Delhi) whom
people of Assam can trust more than national
parties.
RB
----- Original Message -----
From: Chan Mahanta
To: Malabika Brahma ; Chan Mahanta ; [email protected] ; Roy, Santanu
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 11:01
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Reforms - The
CONCLUSION
Utpal:
>That can be achieved only through an overground
political movement . But such changes are not possible without
making constitutional amendments
*** That is where the problem lies.
The Catch 22 is in Assam and the NE's clout, or
more precisely their lack of it, in Delhi, where it boils down to
numbers. It is further complicated by the fact that the election
system is rigged in such a way, that the "National" party bosses
rule how their stooges at the state level shall behave. The Assam
legislators' election and existence is entirely dependent on the
discretion of their bosses and the money bags from
Dilli.
>But to force the Parliament pass a bill that makes
the first step towards >Federalism will take a lot of effort
and ground work at the National Level >(because of the Number
game we need to play)
*** That is why to accept the conditions imposed by
the Indian constitution is a non-starter . To accept its sanctity,
is to admit defeat even before one starts. That is why to
assert a desire for reforms, for positive change, therefore,
is an untenable notion. And explains your
observation:
>But opposition from the intelligentsia for a
meaningful and substantive >government reforms is what is
difficult to fathom.
c-da
At 3:54 PM +0000 1/18/06, Malabika Brahma wrote:
Chandan
da,
>> Similarly on that segment of Assam's
establishment and intelligentsia, who is
>> opposed to meaningful and substantive
governmental reforms
>> and regaining of controls over its
resources, either willfully or unwittingly.
Opposition from Assam's establishment I can very
well understand. But opposition from the intelligentsia for a
meaningful and substantive government reforms is what is
difficult to fathom.
>> One such effort would be by offering ideas
for a reformed Assam governance,
>> based on real ( asc opposed to the desi
kind) democratic concepts and principles.
That can be achieved only through an overground
political movement . But such changes are not possible without
making constitutional amendments and consititutional amendments
are not possible until and unless we build up a national level
consensus. Such changes are possible only in a truly Federal
India (as opposed to the Federalism Desi kind).
But to force the Parliament pass a bill that makes
the first step towards Federalism will take a lot of effort and
ground work at the National Level (because of the Number game we
need to play) . Such ground work can only be accomplished by
active involvement of liberal, visionary and articulate citizens
of North East and that is where we need the likes of Prof Sanjiv
Baruah, Mamoni Roisom Goswami or journalist Sanjoy Hazarika.
They understand the problems faced by North East because of a
GOI that is entirely dominated by the Cow Belters and but
neverthless they have earned some respect and credibility
amongst the Think Tankers at all India level. That places them
in a position from where they can influence the liberal
intelligentsia all over the country for the much needed reforms
to the so called Desi Demokrasy. And I think some of the more
liberal educational institutes like the JNU or Calcutta
University are good places to start the crusade for
constitutional reforms.
Unless we can win the Number Game, we can never
force GOI to make constitutional amendments to achive the kind
of federalism that will ensure an exploitation free North
East.
Utpal
Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
Hi Santanu:
Of all the analyses, yours make the most sense,
and I agree with most of it. I also was not sure how Utpal's
points correlate with the ones you make. But be that as
it may, allow me to chime in here:
As I see it, the GOI thinks
of negotiations with ULFA as basically a process of waiting
till the latter is ready to surrender - the only talk it
wants is to check out if they are ready for that - and if
that ever happens, they have a stdandard face saving
formula that they will offer - bits of special powers for
the state, maybe inner line permit, lots of central funds
(to fatten the leaders) and a political process to return
them to power in the state
elections.
>As I see it, the ULFA has no reason to accept
such an offer at this point.
**** I will have to agree with what you observe
above. I harbor similar concerns. The Naga
non-negotiations and the stand-still is an example of things
to expect. However what is unknown here is whether ULFA
will submit itself to a prolonged period of non-ability to put
any pressure on GoI, by resumption of violence again that is,
if the talks do not progress. That would be an unfortunate
outcome, in which Assam will be the loser. It therefore
behooves the people of Assam--at least those who want to see
an end to the hostilities with some essential and measurable
gains for Assam, to put political/public opinion pressures on
GoI . Similarly on that segment of Assam's establishment
and intelligentsia, who is opposed to meaningful and
substantive governmental reforms
and regaining of controls over its
resources, either willfully or unwittingly.
________________________________________________________________________________
*** I wrote the above on Monday, on my way back to
St.Louis. Since then, we have already seen things changing,
like ULFA's notice to OIL ( or was it ONGC? ), and an
editorial in the Sentinel of yesterday's, in which it
criticizes ( rightly, for a change) the
ghee-belly-governor-general's 'bad-cop' talk,
contradicting Delhi's willingness to engage in talks
with ULFA for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. While
it could be given the benefit of the doubt that Dilli's right
hand does not know what its left is doing, a frequent
phenomenon, I will be loathe to accept it. It looks more and
more like that ol' "good-cop, bad-cop" routine. Does ULFA see
the handwriting on the wall? I will have to believe they do,
very well.
And it does not bode well.
________________________________________________________________________________
Like we discussed earlier , here arises the
importance of a concerted political effort both on ULFA's part
as well as that segment of Assam which is sympathetic to
ULFA's efforts on behalf of Assam, as an essential concurrent
movement.
Reluctantly, I am resigned to the notion that the
tiny segment that is beholden to Delhi's interests should be
ignored as irrelevant and a complete waste of
effort.
But those of us who do care, have an important
role to play: To help move the efforts for a negotiated along,
by mobilizing public support. One such effort would be by
offering ideas for a reformed Assam governance, based on real
( asc opposed to the desi kind) democratic concepts and
principles.
c-da
At 10:18 PM -0600 1/13/06, Roy, Santanu wrote:
Utpal:
I agree with your
vision.
The way I see it - in the short run, there is
almost nothing substantive that one can get the GOI to
accede to in terms of effective decentralization of power or
plebscite or any other adjustment to the political
relationship between Delhi and Assam. The babus and
polticians that run Delhi are under almost no pressure at
all.
Chandan-da suggested that the pressure might come
from the fact that New Delhi wants to look like a big world
power and carry international prestige & it can't do
that with an armed rebellion and suppression of liberty in
one part of its country. I actually don't think that India
has any such ambition. India want to be China in terms of
international leverage. China routinely suppresses even
peaceful peasant movements by brute force. International
power follows from aggregate economic and military might. It
does not require internal democracy or liberty. Countries
like today's India, China, current Russia, Iran, Turkey are
not very civil (I know I am going to be lynched for saying
this)- they do not aim to project their power through moral
superiority of their internal social order.
The only way a rebellion in Assam would threaten
India's ascendency would be if it made India look unstable.
But like Chechnya or even the Kurdish border in Turkey,
Assam is almost a detached fringe of Indian society. It
cannot destabilize India as of
now.
Therefore, I see no closure
in sight.
I also agree with you that hope lies in
history. None of us concievably imagine what the
geopolitical map of the world will look like 20 or 30 years
from now. To take advantage of historical opportunities
(like your third world war), one needs to have a strong
civil movement at the grassroot level - a cohesive
nationality formation process. That is much harder than
armed
insurrection.
Santanu.
-----Original
Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
on behalf of Malabika Brahma
Sent: Sat 1/14/2006 10:57
AM
To: [email protected]
Subject:
Re: [Assam] Reforms - The CONCLUSION
Ram da
asked some very practical questions. We all know that the
GOI is controlled by politicians who gives a damn if Assam
or NE bleeds to death.
Here is the fact (as
stressed by Santanu )
Those who
control GOI are politicians who care less for the people of
Assam and NE and care less for the lives of soldiers that
die in NE. So achieving independence through an armed
struggle is next to impossible.
The only way independence can be achieved
are:
1. By making constitutional
amendment to include "instrument of secession" in Indian
constitution and influencing upon the GOI to hold a
plesbicite in Assam/NE and hope that majority of the people
vote for secession. But this can not be achieved unless
there is move to build a consensus in the National
level.
2. By hoping that a 3rd
world war breaks out and GOI finds it impossible to manage
the present political India. Actually in my opinion
2nd world war is what helped India win its independence from
the British. It became too expensive for Britain to maintain
its colonies because of its involvement in the war.
This again is highly unlikely.
May be Chandan da or Mike
da knows some other Practical Means of achieving
independence that we are missing.
That's why I think "Independence of Assam/NE is excellent to
have but not possible to achieve". So why build
castles in the air ?
But yes, if
we can force GOI to hold a plesbicite, that will be the
greatest victory. What will be the outcome of the plesbicite
, is left to speculation of
course.
But one thing we have to
understand, for Government of India , ULFA and NDFB
may not count, but for Assam and NE, they are our boys
after all. When one ULFA/NDFB member gets eliminated, one of
my brother or sister is getting
eliminated.
Utpal
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