Editorial in Assam Tribune: We are really glad to see that Assam Tribune has now published this Edotorial. Although it is due to the influence of our petition, we don't have to take any credit for that. We sincerely wish that for the sake of Assam, the movement for the name of Assam will grow, and finally GOA will rescind the resolution and form an Advisory Committee to publicly discuss and debate the issue.
Two related news items:
One: there had been a dharna in Dibrugarh to retain the name of Assam.
Two: Today, there is a conference in Guwahati titled 'Save the Name of Assam'.
We request everybody to personal Letters to the Editor speacially to the Assam
Tribune supporting our position to retain the name of Assam.
Thanks
Rajen Barua
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Past WeekPast MonthPast 3 MonthsPast 6 MonthsPast YearSince 2004
Guwahati, Saturday, January 06, 2007
EDITORIAL
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MESSAGE FOR TODAY
A name is a kind of face whereby one is known.
- FULLER
Assam or Asom?
That the Assembly decision changing the name of the State from Assam to Asom
for all purposes has not gone down well with the public should be evident from
the mounting opposition to the change. And the opposition is definitely not
without merits. The State Government showed an undue haste in effecting the
change, and more importantly, did not bother to invite public opinion on such
an important issue. No doubt, names of many places have undergone changes in
recent times, especially those involving 'distorted' names given by the
British, mostly out of ignorance. It is perfectly natural that the people of a
particular geographical entity would always prefer to be identified with the
original name of their land due to factors related to sentiment, culture and
heritage. The sanctity associated with the original name of a place is
undeniable, as names are invariably linked to our past civilizations and
sometimes they even transcend history and date back to the days of myths and
legends. In a way, names constitute our very identity. The present controversy
over 'Assam', however, is different for several reasons. First, Assam was not a
British-given name as sought to be established by the Government. The origin of
the word 'Assam' can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Historical
documents of the Mughal period and Dutch chronicles of pre-British era
corroborate this.
History apart, we will only put ourselves in a disadvantageous position by
effecting a change in the name Assam. The name Asom is unlikely to serve any
purpose outside the State, where it has been known as Assam for centuries.
Before effecting such a hasty change, we would do well to have a closer look at
some important aspects that need careful consideration. The word Assam has
gained global acceptance, given that whatever little international recognition
the State has, it centres around the word Assam - as in the case of Assam tea,
Assam oil, Assam rhino, etc. Under the circumstances, the word Assam has become
the brand name for various products of the State, and any change in the word
Assam could have an adverse effect on our own interests. Moreover, the word
Asom will always be there for local uses. Prudence, therefore, dictates that we
should be extremely cautious before going ahead with a change in the name
Assam. If at all there is any need for a change to Asom or Axom, a public
debate must precede it. It is for us to ensure that in correcting a supposed
historical wrong, we should not end up on the losing side. Imposing Asom in
place of Assam might, instead of yielding the desired results, prove to be a
step backwards and do more harm than good to our image or identity. In the past
two hundred years or so, the word Assam gained some global currency and it may
take a long time for the word Asom to achieve the same. In such a situation,
the interests of the State and the people are bound to suffer. Another
difficulty with changing the name of Assam to Asom is that many of the ethnic
communities living in the State have already vented their strong opposition to
'Asom.' The controversy over the word 'Assamese' is still fresh, and changing
the name of Assam to Asom is likely to be viewed by the ethnic groups as an
attempt to impose the will of the majority Assamese because of the obvious link
between the words Asom and Asomiya (Assamese). This will only create chaos,
confusion, mistrust and division, which we can ill-afford. It is imperative
that the overall interest of the State should get precedence over a change in
name. Or else, the exercise is unlikely to serve the cause of the State and the
people.
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