I thought you advocated against colonialism and dictatorship and go by the
historical facts that Assam was never part of any country.
Why this sudden change of mind? Why this sudden amnesia about the incidents
that happened right before 1826 in Asssam?
This is one of those situations where I wish I was in Assam to gather a list of
some good history books. Well, like they say, those who don't learn from it,
they make history repeat itself.
BTW, this link from wikipedia would be good enough for now to wake you up(?)
from your selective amnesia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_invasion_of_Assam
I quote a paragraph here from the site:
"In Buranji-vivek-ratna, Maniram Dewan, an eyewitness writes:
...in attacking the house of a rich man, would tie him with ropes and then set
fire to his body. Some they flayed alive, others they burnt in oil and others
again they drove in crowds to village Naamghars or prayer-houses, which they
then set on fire... It was dangerous for a beautiful woman to meet a Burmese
even on the public road. Brahmans were made to carry loads of beef, pork and
wine. The Gosains were robbed off all their possessions. Fathers of damsels
whom the Burmese took to wives rose speedily to affluence and power."
“In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble
like a blade of grass”
- Lakshmana
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:21:20 +0100From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL
PROTECTED]: [Assam] The BBC should take note of their Eastern India
correspondent betraying his India centric disposition; from being a
time-honoured appreciation that BBC reporters need to be totally neutral in all
situations.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
(Commentary)
India has nothing to loose
http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/EdOp/2007/Oct/10-Oct-07.html
By Subir Bhaumik
India needs to read the writing on the wall -- the Burmese military junta is on
its way out. For those of us who value our democracy and human rights, India's
policy on Burma should have changed a long time ago. India cannot aspire to be
a proud democracy if it backs all kinds of dictatorships in the neighborhood.
The double standards that we have learnt from the Americans, does not work in
the long run. But those who govern India now don't share our values. They are
the defenders of our national interests -- the smart diplomats, the tough
generals, the men who run our chambers of commerce and push for more trade with
Burma.
It is time to take them on now and ask what India has gained by backing the
world's most notoriously repressive military junta. They have not got the
natural gas from Arakan, despite the investments by our companies, for it s
going to China. The Burmese Army, the Tatmadaw, have not done a Bhutan type
operation in its backyard in Sagaing to chase out northeast Indian rebels. Now
there's reason to believe they are no longer in a position to do a Bhutan in
Sagaing.
All the military formations deployed in Sagaing have been redeployed in the
towns to quell the pitch of the pro-democracy movement led by the monks. India
is pushing for use of the Sittwe port for its land-locked northeast -- but if
there's a regime change in the country and the junta collapses, have our smart
diplomats worked out a strategy to save the project. What has the junta given
us so far that India has to go overboard to support its survival?
Nothing really. We are chasing an illusion since 1995 -- that by engaging the
junta, our diplomats think they are countering Chinese influence. Chinese
influence is deep and Beijing is too well entrenched in Burma for New Delhi to
even think it can counter the Chinese influence. China is also working overtime
on an exit strategy so that it can retain its influence in a post-junta Burma.
By all indications, we are not. South Block is groping in the dark.
India may not join the Western style sanctions but it is time India puts on
hold all its existing projects in Burma until the situation stabilises. That is
the first gesture towards the cause of democracy in Burma but it is also a
smart move to avoid putting in all the money that may be ultimately wasted.
Secondly, India should come out in total support of the pro-democracy movement.
It should call upon the military junta to stop repression and bloodshed and
then push for a dialogue with a definite time frame for a phased return to
democracy.
If the junta does not listen and resorts to more bloodshed, India should
suspend its trade with Burma until the situation changes. And our army has to
prepare to take on the northeastern insurgents on the Indo-Burma border on its
own because the Tatmadaw will not be much help anyway .Unless India plays a
definite role in the restoration of democracy in Burma, it cannot regain the
goodwill with the masses in that country . Only by playing a role in
restoration of democracy can India redeem its ambition to be an Asian power.
(Subir Bhaumik is the BBC's Eastern India correspondent and a long time Burma
watcher)
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