On Aug 14, 2010, at 7:25 PM, Dilip and Dil Deka wrote: > "AUTONOMY, is the way for such redemption for some. And a true and meaningful > FEDERAL arrangement > could be for others. > That is the bottom line." > > ++++ I agree with your bottom line and I have been saying the same thing in > the > net for a long time.
**** Isn't it sad, nobody seems to care :-)? But, *I* try to give credit where credit is due' when I can. > Now we can breathe easier, SOVEREIGNTY is not your slogan > anymore. :-) **** I thought I could slip my 'about-face', as some of our charitable friends might characterize it, on the subject. But you steel-trap minded, kharkhowas caught me red-handed. Iinasmuch as I wish not to drive terror into the hearts of my fellow men with my SLOGANS or incitements or incendiary rhetoric or even undisguised calls for armed rebellion, here you are, unfortunately, reading more than you should be. **** WHY? For a very simple reason. All of you far-sighted ones who have waved around 'AUTONOMY' in this forum as A or THE solution for Assam, never, even with repeated challenges from yours truly, would come out and tell us WHAT the PROBLEM is, in your view, for which you proffer AUTONOMY as the solution. Why does that matter? As I explained a number of times before, it matters immensely, because WHAT IF this amazing AUTONOMY solution of your desires, does NOT include what it must , to deal with Assam's PROBLEMS ? Then what? Now then, how would one know what YOUR concept of AUTONOMY comes with, if or when it does? And how could I or a SOVEREIGNTY partisan or anyone else could weigh, evaluate, the worth of os such autonomy UNLESS you explain, clearly and unambiguously , what YOUR concept of the PROBLEMS are, for which your idea of autonomy is going to be of any use or would be yet another piece of Indian make-believe, appearances-sake, deception ( note The Day of Deception mourning reported by Uttam this morning) ? Again, the Devil is in the details. > I totally support if some parliamentarians make the demand for incorporation > of > Autonomy into the Indian constitution. Is there someone who will risk that? **** That is akin to asking the proverbial fox, if he should be the right one to guard the hen-house, wouldn't it? > Someone from Assam or J&K to make some noise in Loksabha? If it fails first > time, try another time, then another .............? As far as I know no one > has > tried it yet. **** Since the fox will never disqualify himself from hen-house guarding duties, should the wise-ones who have taken upon themselves to be keepers and masters of the restive populations , with the fox as their proxy, not propose it themselves, instead of continuing to conduct the world's longest running low-intensity warfare on its own population ? Does it give you any clues? Should it? :-) > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Chan Mahanta <[email protected]> > To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world > <[email protected]> > Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 11:38:21 AM > Subject: Re: [Assam] I Loved This One---from ToI > >> I completely agree. But you aren't trying to paint with a broad brush are >> you ? :-). > > **** It is not a broad-brushing based on small or isolated examples. It is > the > NORM, the > prevailing condition. Do you disagree? > >> In fact, when people demand a correction >> (as in CWG, or Hemanta Sarma) - things often fall in line. Such >> participation is paramount for a healthy democracy. > > *** So, is it something NEW? That has not been tried or done before? > But what has changed? > > > Participation YES, but that is an all encompassing truism. Like the truth > shall > prevail. > Or honesty is the best policy. Question is HOW, WHEn, WHO? The Devil here is > in > the details. > > > What is OBVIOUS is that India does not have, it cannot muster the POLITICAL > will > to CHANGE things. It cannot if it tried. It is TOO fRACTURED, it is TOO > disparate. > It tries the one size fits all approach, and gets nowhere. It will get > nowhere. > > That is why it is paramount that the disparate peoples organize into smaller > entities and > > devise ways to manage their destinies , to be RESPONSIVE to their unique > needs, > WITHOUT > being held to ransom by far-flung forces that have NO DESIRE or ABILITY to > deal > with THEIR > specific needs. > > AUTONOMY, is the way for such redemption for some. And a true and meaningful > FEDERAL arrangement > could be for others. > > That is the bottom line. > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 14, 2010, at 10:38 AM, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > >> C'da, >> >>> What you always seem to miss, is this problem of ENFORCEMENT, of >> investigating, adjudicating >>> and punishing the corrupt, of punishing bad behavior and rewarding the >> good. >> >> Actually, I didn't miss it, just thought it is a given. >> >> Just enforcement too is not enough - the court systems are over burdened, >> and so are the good cops. >> >>> Generations of Indian now have not seen anything different. Many think that >> is how it IS, others think >>> "they are like that only", yet others who know that it ought not be so, but >> have no faith at all that things >>> could ever be changed. Also, generations of Indians have grown up thinking >> and believing that >>> they have democracy, the best, and things will take care of itself after >> they performed the >>> rituals of elekshuns. >> >> I completely agree. But you aren't trying to paint with a broad brush are >> you ? :-). In fact, when people demand a correction >> (as in CWG, or Hemanta Sarma) - things often fall in line. Such >> participation is paramount for a healthy democracy. >> >> --Ram >> >> On Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 9:59 AM, Chan Mahanta <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> What you always seem to miss, is this problem of ENFORCEMENT, of >>> investigating, adjudicating >>> and punishing the corrupt, of punishing bad behavior and rewarding the >>> good. >>> >>> Generations of Indian now have not seen anything different. Many think that >>> is how it IS, others think >>> "they are like that only", yet others who know that it ought not be so, but >>> have no faith at all that things >>> could ever be changed. Also, generations of Indians have grown up thinking >>> and believing that >>> they have democracy, the best, and things will take care of itself after >>> they performed the >>> rituals of elekshuns. When it does not, they whine and moan. But they also >>> need to LIVE, make a living. >>> And they know ALL too well, that it is only ONE life to live. >>> >>> So what is your magic bullet for fixing thins. Is there ant y? >>> >>> Or could it be that a whole slew of things have to be done, over time, to >>> turn things around. >>> >>> And WHO will do that? WHEN? Has it started. Will it ever? >>> >>> If it has not even started, how could it be started? If it has, where, >>> what, how? >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Aug 14, 2010, at 9:48 AM, Ram Sarangapani wrote: >>> >>>> C'da, >>>> >>>> Thanks for fwding this. Really good - just loved it. >>>> >>>>> Only one complaint: Tiwari shoud have addressed it to the WORST of them >>>> all, not ALL of India. Ain't right to paint everyone with the same brush. >>>> >>>> >>>> But let's look at it from Tiwari's angle: Everywhere he looks, there is >>>> corruption - it's only a matter of degrees. While one might argue that a >>>> whole set of corrupt leaders are leading (and forcing) an easily >>> corruptible >>>> mass, such that corruption has become a way of life, and no longer an >>>> exception, but the rule - it must only be the fault of these leaders.... >>>> >>>> It does take two to tango. >>>> >>>> In the end, it all boils down to : do you pay Rs. 500 extra, and catch >>> your >>>> flight back to the US, or do you stand your ground, and hold on to those >>>> ideals, and maybe miss that flight. >>>> I would catch that flight :-), >>>> and still use the broad brush & blame all - bribers, and the bribees :-) >>>> >>>> --Ram >>>> >>>> On Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 8:57 AM, Chan Mahanta <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I loved this one. Only one complaint: Tiwari shoud have addressed it to >>>>> the WORST of them all, not ALL of India. Ain't right to paint everyone >>> with >>>>> the same brush. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> cm :-) >>>>> >>>>> >>> http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bugs-eye-view/entry/mr-kalmadi-s-fake-statement >>> t >>>>> Mr Kalmadi's (fake) statementAlok Tiwari, 14 August 2010, 02:53 PM IST >>>>> Last night I dreamt I was appointed the speechwriter and propagandist >>> for >>>>> Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi. The >>>>> appointment happened through a dubious process the details of which I >>> shall >>>>> not bore you with. It was for an obscene amount of money paid into my >>>>> numbered Swiss bank account. As one of my first assignments, I wrote the >>>>> following statement for Mr Kalmadi: >>>>> >>>>> My fellow citizens, >>>>> >>>>> Over the last few weeks, I have read and watched a series of reports >>> about >>>>> corruption in the organizing of Commonwealth Games. It has pained me no >>> end. >>>>> Some of those things I have tried to explain but what has shocked me is >>> the >>>>> demand for my exit. Each day there is a new disclosure and the chorus >>> begins >>>>> again. Therefore, I decided to confront the question head on. >>>>> >>>>> Yes, corruption has taken place in holding of the games. Trails of quite >>> a >>>>> few scandals lead right up to my door. So I will not deny it. But what >>> is so >>>>> surprising about it? What did I do that had not been done before? To see >>> the >>>>> outpourings of outrage everywhere, it would appear Indians are seeing >>>>> corruption happen for the first time. Come on, let us shed that garb of >>>>> innocence. >>>>> >>>>> Please come with me to the collectorate of any of our nearly 450 >>> districts. >>>>> Each one presided over by an IAS officer, the best and the brightest >>> among >>>>> us. Here you find people in their thousands waiting for such commonplace >>>>> things as domicile and caste certificates. There are contractors waiting >>> for >>>>> permits to mine materials such as boulders and gravel. My contractor >>> friend >>>>> tells me it takes 18 approvals to get one permit. Please try to get just >>> one >>>>> of them without giving a bribe or using a big name. The same goes for >>> each >>>>> certificate. >>>>> >>>>> I could take you to the secretariat of each of our 30-odd states. Or to >>>>> ministries in New Delhi where even bigger deals are made. The story will >>> be >>>>> repeated on a progressively larger scale. Let us travel to any of the >>> RTO >>>>> offices. I dare you to have a vehicle registered or transferred, or just >>> pay >>>>> your tax without going through a tout or paying someone. Why, most of us >>>>> have driving licences. I ask each one of you to keep your hand on your >>> heart >>>>> and ask whether you got it by honestly appearing for a test or gave a >>> small >>>>> fee to someone to get it for you. >>>>> >>>>> I also want you remember the last time you were booked for jumping a >>>>> traffic signal or wrongly parking your car. Did you quietly pay your >>> fine or >>>>> tried to settle the matter with the cop for a lower amount? Please get >>> me a >>>>> birth certificate from your local municipal office in a straightforward >>>>> manner. I could say the same about courts but for the risk of being >>> hauled >>>>> up for contempt. I shall still suggest that you spend a day in the court >>>>> complex of any district and check out the exemplary honesty and >>> integrity >>>>> with which everybody from peon to lawyers to judges work there. Let us >>> then >>>>> go to a PWD or an irrigation department office of your choice and try to >>>>> find a road or a dam built with complete honesty. I could go on. But you >>> get >>>>> the drift, right? >>>>> >>>>> Somebody has thrown a CAG report on my face. Poor CAG has been writing >>> such >>>>> reports by the dozens about every department of every government at >>> every >>>>> level. I am yet to discover their utility other than providing >>> particularly >>>>> untalented reporters a means to live another day. The toilet paper in my >>>>> bathroom finds better use than those reports. It is the same with CVC. >>>>> >>>>> And, ah, the media… How can I forget my friends there? Please ask them >>>>> about the increasingly blurred line between advertising and commercials >>> so >>>>> that readers do not know what is paid for and what is not. What >>> editorial >>>>> integrity do we see when interviews and features on movies appear >>> sweetly >>>>> timed with their release? We had the scandal of paid political news >>> during >>>>> elections. I am yet to see an editor or an owner hauled over the coals >>> for >>>>> that or being asked to demit office. >>>>> >>>>> No, my compatriots, it is not corruption in CWG that bothers you. If >>> that >>>>> were the case, you would have lynched every district collector and every >>> RTO >>>>> in the country by now. You have long made peace with corruption. You >>> have >>>>> become part of it when you could. It is brazenness and scale of my >>>>> corruption that concerns you. That is the novelty element. If my team >>> had >>>>> kept itself limited to taking 10 or 20 per cent cut, you would be >>> looking >>>>> the other way. The media would find it boring to report that. What >>> shocks >>>>> you is that I paid Rs 9 lakh for hiring a treadmill that could be had >>> for Rs >>>>> 45,000. If I had done the deal at Rs 50,000 you would be OK with it. You >>> do >>>>> not mind people crossing the line. You mind them crossing it too openly. >>> But >>>>> you forget, friends, that once you allow crossing of lines you cannot >>> set >>>>> the rules for it. Also, I have only raised the bar here. Citius, Altius, >>>>> Fortius. Isn't that what having games is all about? Give me credit for >>> at >>>>> least that (though I'd prefer cash!). >>>>> >>>>> With all sincerity (or what is left of it amongst us), >>>>> Suresh Kalmadi >>>>> >>>>> Now, if only I could get Mr Kalmadi to sign it… >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> 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 >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
