The kiratas were the martial races like kacharis, bodos, tripuris, lalungs, ravas, koches, chutiyas, ahoms (by product of tais with barahis, chutiyas, marans, kacharis etc.). In martial races "noro-boli" was practiced to keep the peopl efighting fit, and the adrenelin flowing at full gush. The 'bolis' were not random people, but were chosen from a few villages, whose upkeep was looked after by the king's treasury.
Why bride burning.. well it's plain greed for money/dowry. The typical process starts after the bride gives birth to the first child. Demands start pouring or the poor bride is sent back to her parents house, and not recalled. t times she is tortured and in desparate cases burnt by leaking a gas cylinder or dousing in kerosene. The guy marries again and garners more dowry. In most of the cases teh accomplices are the mother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, the husband's role is mostly indirect and racit. I heard the hunger for dowry is more in case of migrants from erstwhile West Punjab. Would of course not like to generalise. Having studied in Chandigarh found none of my punju friends having that kind of mentality. The reason is economic insecurity. Himendrada did a study on the bride burning, son preference etc. Should we be bothered or not! Well I don't know, it,s a personal choice. As a person staying in India, definitely yes. Even outside this must matter someone. When you are abroad and such a news appear in say the Washinton Post, as a holder of Indian Passport, it's certainly not a good reading. Ciao MKD. On 2/24/06, Malabika Brahma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Rajen da, > > Agreed about the human sacrifice in Kesaikhati and Kamakhya. But the > victims were from either sex , isn't it ? The Evil practices were not > exclusively targetted towards women. > > Agreed about the racial intermix in WB too. But in whereas there was > racial intermix, how much of cultural intermix do you think happened in WB > compared to Assam ? If you look at the other NE states where there was even > less cultural intermix compared to Assam and where the Kiratas are still > dominating, you actually see even higher social position for the women. > > Utpal > > Rajen Barua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You seem to be making a statement without much study. The actual > reasons are quite different in my opinion. However, for you to realise the > fact, let us see why your theory is not correct, > (Your theory : I think the liberal attitude of the Assamese society was > because of the influence of the Non Aryan section of the Assamese society - > namely the Kirata people of North East. ), > let us try to put to test the above theory: > > 1) In India there are huge amount of bride burning cases while in Assam > there are none. Now you seem to be saying that it is happening in India > because the Indian society is not liberal like Assamese. Now to argue, why > a conservative society will burn their brides to start with? > > One of the states, other than Assam which has mongolian (Kirata) influence > is West Bengal. In fact the propulation is WB is considered to be a mixture > of Dravidian plus Mongoloid plus Aryan. And West Bengal is the state which > is mostlt affected by Sati Dah, Child Mariiage, and all the ill affects of a > Hindu society. > > On the other hand, in no Aryan (Hindu) scriptures we find any of these > evil practices. So these cannot be some Aryan society characteristics. > > Non Aryans on the other hand had many evil prctices like Human Sacrifice > (In Kesaikhati temple in Xodiya and in Kamakhya) till the other day. > > Now the question is that in spite of all these. Assamese society (mainly > Hindu Assamese society) has thse strong positive points which are not found > anywhere in India. > > The issues need serious studies. I asked these questions to many Assamese > and Indian scholars who like to say high things of Aryan society etc. Till > now nobody could give me any convincing answer. > Today I have my own. > RB > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Malabika Brahma > To: mc mahant ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [email protected] > Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:41 AM > Subject: Re: [Assam] One must Take Responsibility > > > To a large extent, I think the liberal attitude of the Assamese society > was because of the influence of the Non Aryan section of the Assamese > society - namely the Kirata people of North East. > > Nowhere in India you find such a blending of two groups of people - the > Indo Europeans and the Kiratas. Whereas in other parts of India it was > overwhelming sublimation of one culture over the other (say sublimation by > the Indo Europeans over the Dravidian or the Austric group), in Assam it was > a case of cultural and racial intermix. Though the process was not always > without the natural friction, it resulted in creating a liberal mindset that > was not the characteristics in the Gangetic valley. > > Agreed the region (Assam as well as North East) is not having the best of > its time, but I am sure ( and do surely hope), this liberal attitude will go > a long way in course of time in putting back the society (of North East), > the respectful place it deserves. > > Remember reading an old book where a European mentioned in the 18th > century, the manfolk belonging to even the most rustic section of the > society take a certain pride in introducing the womenfolk of the household > to the guest, which was in utter contrast to the treatment rendered by the > manfolk towards the women in other parts of the then India. > > Utpal > > mc mahant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > That's IT! > That is analysis. > mm > > > > --------------------------------- > From: "Barua25" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Himendra Thakur" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > CC: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Assam] One must Take Responsibility > Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:11:30 -0600 > > >Excepting the Assamese Hindu Community, Hindus have been burning > women in Sati, Jauhar & Bride-Burning ... but there are fundamental > differences between these >practices, which should be investigated and > studied so that the tragedy can be eradicated. > > Why do you think Hindus in India were and are burning women and why do you > think the Assamese were not. > Is it not a shame for Indians? > Don't you think the Indians should learn from the Assamese? > In your Seminar do you tell them why Assamese never nurned women eithr in > Sati or widow burning.? > Do you also tell them > Assamese also never had Child marriage. > Assamese had and have the practice of widow marriage. > Assamese marriage never had the Joutuk Pratha. > Assamese are the only community in India where we have the Jwrwn Protha > where the groom party give lewellery to the bride. > etc. > There are i billion Indians to solve India's problems. > Assamese should focus on the present problems of Assam. > RB > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Himendra Thakur > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 11:31 PM > Subject: Re: [Assam] One must Take Responsibility > > > Dear Umesh, > > Sati was mentioned by scholars who accompanied Alexander the Great in 300+ > BC. When Lord Bentinck banned Sati in 1829, it was widespread all over India > except Assam. > > Excepting the Assamese Hindu Community, Hindus have been burning women in > Sati, Jauhar & Bride-Burning ... but there are fundamental differences > between these practices, which should be investigated and studied so that > the tragedy can be eradicated. > > Will you be free on December 27-29, 2006 to attend the Eighth > International Conference Against Bride-Burning ? I cordially invite you to > participate (and help) at the International conferences that we are holding > against bride-burning, where the other two practices also are discussed. > > It will be a matter of confusion if all the three practises are lumped > together and confined to only one area ... Rajasthan. It will be very > misleading if these practises are ignored as "a figment of imagination - but > both Sati and Jauhar are very much part of the folk lore." > > Some people try to ignore bride-burning also as a "a figment of > imagination" and a "folk-lore" ... These are very irresponsible talk. There > are recent statistics from the Crime Bureau of the Home Ministry. > > I welcome you for saying "However, as recently as 1980s Sati was performed > in Divarala in Rajasthan - despite all media attention." > > Through your that word "However", we see a ray of hope. > > With the best wishes, > Himendra > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: umesh sharma > To: Himendra Thakur ; Barua25 ; [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:39 PM > Subject: Re: [Assam] One must Take Responsibility > > > Maybe Sati (or setting fire to the widow) was also a figment of > imagination - but both Sati and Jauhar are very much part of the folk lore > where they were most popular -- in Rajasthan. However, as recently as 1980s > Sati was performed in Divarala in Rajasthan - despite all media attention. > > Umesh > > Himendra Thakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Barua, > > Appended below is an interesting case --- maybe first time someone had to > take responsibility for what he said and wrote. Please consider if this > maybe discussed in the net. > > The jailed British historian David Irving's opinion that "most Jews died > of diseases during World War II" sounds very similar to what one > correspondent said in Assamnet implicitly absolving the Islamic invaders of > any responsibility of Hindu women's death in Jauhar Vrata, because, > according to this correspondent, Hindus killed their own wives and daughters > as a "scorched earth policy". This correspondent did neither furnish any > evidence nor did he state whether the scenerio was his assumption. Under > what circumstances a man kills his own daughter and wife instead of > protecting them? > > To my question "Dear Chandan, Since you "do support the 'sovereignty ' > aspirations or demands", when Assam becomes independent as a result of > your support, will you take responsibility if millions of people lose their > lives in Assam as a chain result of the independence and sovereignty ? Will > you take responsibility ?", Chandan Mahanta could not say that he would take > the responsibility. Instead he asked me "You will need to explain how you > see that happening, before I can give you an answer. " IN OTHER WORDS, > Chandan has been pleading for "independence and sovereignty " of Assam > without even thinking of all the pros and cons. Now he wants me to think for > him. > > By the way, can someone find the source of the theory of Jauhar Vrata as a > Scorched Earth Policy ? It seems like a jewel from Ramilla Thapar, but I > have been unable to find it. > > With the best wishes, > Himendra > > APPENDIX: > > http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/02/21/historian_gets > prison_for_denying_the_holocaust/ > > Historian gets prison for denying the Holocaust > Concedes to Vienna court he was wrong > By Matthew Schofield, Knight Ridder | February 21, 2006 > > VIENNA -- British historian David Irving was sentenced yesterday to three > years in prison on charges that he denied the Holocaust -- hours after he > conceded that he had been wrong to doubt the systematic murder of millions > of Jews. > > ''The way the law is written, I didn't have any other choice but to plead > guilty," Irving said. He had faced as many as 10 years in prison on the > charges. > > Irving, 67, was convicted for statements he made during a lecture in Austria > in 1989, when he said the gas chambers of Auschwitz were a fairy tale. He > also is known for having said that the number of Jews killed by Nazis was > exaggerated greatly, that most Jews died of diseases during World War II, > and that until 1943 Adolf Hitler had never heard of the Holocaust. > > At least nine European countries, as well as Israel, have national laws that > make it a crime to deny or diminish the reality of the Holocaust. > > Before and during court on yesterday, Irving acknowledged that he had been > wrong. He said that ''history is a constantly growing tree" and that > documents he had studied since 1989 -- especially the files of Adolf > Eichmann, who is often called the architect of the Holocaust -- had made it > clear to him that ''millions of Jews were murdered." > > Irving was the author of more than 20 books before becoming known as one of > the world's foremost anti-Semitic researchers. He once sued American > historian Deborah Lipstadt for libel after she wrote that he was a Holocaust > denier. He lost that case; the judge called him an anti-Semite and a racist > who twisted history, and the legal fees of 2 million pounds, or about $3.5 > million, broke him. Still, Lipstadt told the BBC yesterday that although > Irving is a poor historian, censorship doesn't work. > > ''He should be released to return to London and the sound of one hand > clapping," she said. > > Irving's attorney sought leniency for his client, who will turn 68 on March > 24. > > ''This lecture took place 17 years ago," Elmar Kresbach said. ''He is an > English citizen. He doesn't live in Austria and he is 68 years old. He is > not really dangerous, especially not to Austria." > > But prosecutor Michael Klackl said Irving's research tried to convince > others that the worst crime in world history never happened. > > While Irving is considered the most prominent Holocaust denier, Canadian > historian Ernst Zuendel, 66, is into the third week of his trial in > Mannheim, Germany. He is accused of denying the Holocaust and inciting > racial hatred. > > During Zuendel's trial, neo-Nazis have applauded him loudly, called the > judge ''Roland Freisler" after the Nazi judge who sentenced Hitler's > opponents to death, and have sung the banned first verse of the German > national anthem. > > Zuendel faces as long as five years in prison for allegedly promoting > neo-Nazi materials and revisionist Holocaust theories in his books. > > Deidre Berger, managing director of the American Jewish Committee office in > Berlin, which tracks anti-Semitism, said it is important not to > underestimate the seriousness of the cases. > > ''They should not merely be dismissed as idiots," she said. ''They're > dangerous men." > > Irving, in particular, ''has led a life that is all about denying the > Holocaust," she said. ''These are important trials, especially at a time > when anti-Semitism in Europe and around the world is on the rise again." > > Rob Boudewijn, a specialist on European issues for the Dutch research center > Clingendael Institute, said that while it may be difficult for Americans to > understand, many Europeans believe that free-speech protections should not > apply to Holocaust denial. > > ''Denying the Holocaust is denying our history," he said. > > (c) Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > Umesh Sharma > 5121 Lackawanna ST > College Park, MD 20740 > > 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] > > Ed.M. - International Education Policy > Harvard Graduate School of Education, > Harvard University, > Class of 2005 > --------------------------------- > Can't remember an address in your address book? Enter the first few > letters and Address AutoComplete will automatically finish it. Get Yahoo! > Mail > > --------------------------------- > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! Cars NEW - sell your car and browse thousands of new and used cars > online search now > --------------------------------- > > > > --------------------------------- > Does your mail provider give you access to messages sent to other POP email > accounts, like your work account? Get Yahoo! 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