Umesh: This type of who says what article comes and goes and does not really depict the reality. Assam - Asom stays. RB , ----- Original Message ----- From: "umesh sharma" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Ram Sarangapani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Rajen & Ajanta Barua" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 2:56 AM Subject: Re: [Assam] The Assam Tribune Editorial
>I think we are missing the point here. The article > seems to say Islamic fundamentalist organizations have > not had much headway in Assam. that should be a good > think. what about AUDF which has come up recently for > fighting elections based on minority plank? > > Umesh > > > --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Barua, >> >> I agree. The Assam Tribune is not being consistent. >> They have been changing >> the official names of many organizations and yet not >> their one. >> >> --Ram >> >> >> On 9/3/06, Rajen & Ajanta Barua >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > >> > *>The Assam Tribune >> > >Editorial, August 29, 2006 >> > >Muslims in Asom: estrangement or engagement* >> > ** >> > *>United Liberation Front of Asom* >> > >> > Hypocritical litikai Assam Tribune is changing the >> name of Assam to Asom >> > for everybody except for own. >> > RB >> > * >> > >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > * >> > >> > >> > >> > *The Assam Tribune >> > Editorial, August 29, 2006 >> > Muslims in Asom: estrangement or engagement >> > *Abu Nasar Saied Ahmed >> > The much-quoted statement of British Prime >> Minister Benjamin Disraeli >> > (1804-1881) There is no gambling like politicsis >> putatively relevant to >> > Indian politics. The recent developments in Muslim >> politics in Asom tend to >> > confirm it in unmistakable terms. >> > >> > The Muslim politics in Asom took a turn towards >> particularism soon after >> > the historic verdict of the Supreme Court >> invalidating the controversial >> > IM(DT) Act. A new political outfit appeared in the >> scene ostensibly to >> > protect the Muslims from unnecessary harassment >> that might be meted out to >> > them on mere suspicion to be Bangladeshi >> nationals. This putative fear >> > together with an undiplomatic and hard-hitting >> statement of the Chief >> > Minister provided the political rationale behind >> the formation of the AUDF. >> > It did not take time to see the changing contour >> of the new political >> > outfit, which had limitless political ambition to >> play the role of the >> > kingmakerand occupy the driversseat of governance >> in the State. The >> > speculative political equations were based on >> certain quick and >> > business-like assessment of the political scenario >> in the State. A totally >> > shattered and vertically divided regional party, >> the AGP, despite the tall >> > claims made by its president, was too weak to >> secure absolute majority in >> > the Asom Legislative Assembly. Similarly, the BJP >> despite its graduated >> > expansion in its support base was unlikely to >> strike magic in the election >> > performance in a communally harmonious State like >> Asom. Therefore, >> > Badaruddin Ajmal, the president of the AUDF, >> appears to have calculated that >> > his new party would be able to accomplish a >> political engineering to erode >> > the traditional Congress base and reduce its >> strength substantially. In >> > other words, Asom would experience a hung Assembly >> and in such a situation >> > his party would be in the drivers seat in the >> formation of government. His >> > calculation was based on certain hard factual >> data. Out of 126 Assembly >> > constituencies there are 23 constituencies in >> which the Muslims constitute >> > 50 to 90 per cent of the electorate, in 7 >> constituencies they share 40 to 49 >> > per cent votes. It means that out of 126 >> constituencies Muslims play a >> > decisive role in 30 constituencies. In a changed >> situation, he might have >> > speculated that his party would be able to capture >> almost all these 30 >> > seats. In the process he would be the kingmaker. >> If things proceeded >> > according to his assessment of the political >> situation, he would be able to >> > not only unseat the Congress from power but also >> settle a score with the >> > Chief Minister. >> > >> > Political calculations are different from >> commercial ones. As Harold Laski >> > once commented that in politics it may so happen >> that 0+0+0+0=4. That is why >> > Ajmals calculations eventually turned out to be >> miscalculations. It was >> > obviously wrong to assume that the Muslims in Asom >> have an electoral >> > collectivism. The long experience of electoral and >> legislative politics in >> > Asom since 1937 abnegates the idea of unity of >> political action of the >> > Muslims. It was a trivialisation or >> oversimplification of the political >> > maturity of the Muslims of Asom to assume that >> they were morbidly terrified >> > at the verdict of the Supreme Court on the IM(DT) >> Act, and therefore, would >> > rally under the umbrella of a newly formed party >> to find a protective shield >> > under it. There has been erroneous construction of >> a thesis that the Muslims >> > of Asom constitute the dependable vote bank of the >> Congress. Although they >> > constitute 30 per cent of the total population of >> the State and a >> > significant force to reckon with in the electoral >> politics in Asom, more >> > than one party shares their votes as they rally >> behind various political >> > parties and have set an example of unseating the >> Congress from power more >> > than once. It is true that in certain >> constituencies the Muslims vote en >> > bloc and en mass which makes the electoral >> situation visibly different. But >> > at the same time, a political party emerging out >> of a personalised agenda >> > cannot really muster sustenance for a long time. >> More importantly, the >> > post-colonial political setting did not testify to >> the survival of a Muslim >> > based communal party. Although the AUDF has been >> trying its best to disabuse >> > its comnmunal face by fielding non-Muslim >> candidates in the last Assembly >> > elections of 2006, it is yet to secure peoples >> acceptability as a secular >> > party. Its credibility as a truly secular and >> democratic party will heavily >> > depend not on words and the manifesto but on its >> activities and programmes. >> > >> > The history of Muslim politics in Asom in the >> post-colonial period does >> > not suggest a bright future of a communal-based >> party. It is true that in >> > the early part of the last century, the Muslim >> League as a communal party >> > could enlist the support of a sizeable section of >> the Muslims. But at the >> > same time it is also a fact that many of them >> joined the national mainstream >> > under the banner of the Indian National Congress. >> Soon after Independence, >> > Sir Syed Saadullah, who had been the Premier of >> Asom for five times, turned >> > down the position of the Governor of East >> Pakistan, decided to stay in this >> > country and join the Congress along with his >> followers. On the floor of the >> > Asom Legislative Assembly soon after Independence >> he made an eloquent speech >> > reaffirming his commitment to the Constitution. He >> said ...Now the Muslims, >> > who have been placed either by accident or birth >> or domicile under the >> > Constitution, we are all ready to extend our hand >> of cooperation and loyal >> > services...Since then the Muslim approach to >> particularism or estrangement >> > disappeared and got themselves engaged in the task >> of nation-building, >> > notwithstanding the fact that there were shuttle >> attempts at reviving >> > particularism in some form or other. In February >> 1975 an organisation called >> > the Asom Muslim Parishad was formed at the >> initiative of Syed Ahmed Ali and >> > Omaruddin to struggle for the common interests of >> the Muslims.It was not a >> > political party but a pressure group, which did >> not last even for a year. In >> > a meeting held on March 8, 1977 at Haji >> Musafirkhana, another organisation >> > named the Eastern India Muslim Associationwas >> formed. It also met with the >> > same fate. It is needless to remind the readers >> about the emergence and the >> > end of UMF. In a multicultural society as in Asom, >> it is extremely difficult >> > to keep a communally charged political plank, >> despite its secular and >> > democratic nomenclature, alive and sustained, for >> particularism, even >> > theoretically conceived does not stand on a >> permanent footing. The political >> > expediency in the State does not subscribe to an >> impression that a Muslim >> > communal framework will survive on the floor of >> the Assembly on any issue >> > facing the Muslims. >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > 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 >> > > > Umesh Sharma > 5121 Lackawanna ST > College Park, MD 20740 USA > > Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , Vancouver, Canada > > 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] > Canada # (607) 221-9433 > > Ed.M. - International Education Policy > Harvard Graduate School of Education, > Harvard University, > Class of 2005 > > weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > Security's tight. 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