Bartta Bistar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: TOP STORIES Conflict in Assam works in nexus with weak economy: World Bank report http://in.news.yahoo.com/071022/48/6m9n4.html
ULFA’s REJOINDER The above article posted by one ‘IE’ on assamnet.org on October 23 is obviously an attempt to manipulate the study titled “Who Benefits from Civil Wars? Some Evidence from Assam”, reported to have been carried out for the World Bank, so as to undermine the historic reasons for the national struggle to regain the sovereign independence of Asom. Quoting from the World Bank report, may be out of context, about the “direct nexus” between the Asom-India conflict and a ‘weak economy’ betrays the ulterior motif to divert the core issue of our sovereignty and independence to that of a ‘weak economy’ implying thereby that effective measures to strengthen the economy will take the wind out of our struggle. Certainly, as had happened in any colonial situation, the percentage of unemployment in Asom is also very high under Indian colonial occupation. But this does not necessarily undermine the primary importance of the historic reasons that propels our struggle forward, though the colonial economy convince our people that the national struggle is also their struggle for existence. Therefore, the primary source of motivation for the youth of Asom impelling them join the national struggle is patriotism and the faith in our sovereignty and independence. A weak economy and the resultant unemployment and corruption are general phenomenon in any colonial situation. As such, it is the colonial situation that gave rise to the national liberation struggle of Asom, not just the “direct nexus” between the “conflict” and the “weak economy”. Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman, ULFA 03/11/07 ---------------------- By IE Tuesday October 23, 01:45 AM The on-going conflict in Assam, that claimed over 4,400 lives between 1992 and 2001, has a "direct nexus" with a weak economy, making it easier for militant groups to find "young recruits", a study carried out under the aegis of World Bank has confirmed. The study titled "Who benefits from Civil Wars? Some evidence from Assam", pointed out that unemployment, especially among the youth, showed disturbing trends in the 1990s, which in turn had adverse implications for the persistence of conflict. "The number of unemployed youths in Assam registered sharpest rise among 15 major states, between 1983 and 1993," the report said, pointing out that by 1993-94 (when Army operations against militants were in full swing), "the number of unemployed youths in Assam was about three times higher than the rest of India". The argument of "easy recruitment" of potential rebels is indirectly supported by this data, the study said. The study was carried for the World Bank by Deepa Narayan, Binayak Sen and Ashutosh Varshney. The study also pointed out that though there were several historic reasons behind the on-going conflict in the state, the employment situation severely deteriorated, particularly in the rural areas, during the course of the conflict. "Though the level of rural unemployment had been lower than that in urban areas during the year of conflict, it is in the rural areas that the sharpest increase in unemployment was recorded," the study revealed. The rural population was more affected during the intensified phase of conflict between 1983 and 1993, the report said, with statistics showing that the number of rural poor increased sharply from 73.53 lakh in 1987-88 to 94.33 lakh in 1993-94. There have been some signs of improvement in the overall employment scenario from 2000 onwards, but the situation is yet to reach any turn-around, the study said. On the "nexus" between weak economy and conflict, the study revealed that nearly 75 per cent of the respondents in conflict-affected areas reported that their village had a "weak" to "very weak" local economy. But what is more alarming is the increasing level of corruption that itself could be a factor responsible for the underdevelopment or slow pace of development in the state. "Corruption in local government offices marked a turn for the worse. Respondents in more than 65 per cent of the communities surveyed agreed that government officials in their village and neighbourhood were corrupt," the study said. _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org Umesh Sharma Washington D.C. 1-202-215-4328 [Cell] Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info) http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info) ___________________________________________________________ Want ideas for reducing your carbon footprint? Visit Yahoo! For Good http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/environment.html _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
