Re: [Assam] Much Ado about What?

[Barua25]

.>Assam doesn’t need independence to grow and develop  >.It’s the crab-mentality of us assamese people that needs to be banished .only then will Assam prosper.   Looks like your answering yourself. Barua ----- Original Message ----- From: tridip To: Ram Sarangapani ; Chan Mahanta Cc: assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 6:24 PM Subject: Re: [Assam] Much Ado about What? Hi all, This is something which has always needled me (from the time I was able to understand the pros and cons of things properly). Have often discussed this with my peers but never got a chance to discuss it with a wider audience. Now that I have joined this group I guess this is my chance to put forth my views and get some support or constructive criticism.   Census 2001:- population of Assam - 26,638,407. And the total numbers of active ULFA cadres is what?? Roughly 2000 (almost)..of course its just a guestimate .I read it somewhere that it stands around  700- to 1500 at most .   My point is, can the so called ‘freedom struggle’ by a group of ‘misguided youths’ (??) who numbers around a few thousands be actually called a freedom struggle in the first place?? Can the beliefs and motives of a few thousand people be representative of the belief sand motives of two and a half crore population??? To be honest my answer is no. maybe ppl have different views over it. And everyone is entitled to their own views.     maybe when ULFA was ‘born’ the common/general public supported their views and ideals. But I don’t think that it’s the same case today. Dunno of the generations that preceded ours but I can say that my generation and the generations that follows ours don’t support the ideals of ULFA at all ( esp. after gruesome incidents like the dhemaji blast last year). If we don’t want an independent axom then for whom are they fighting this losing war??? Our generation is supposedly the future of axom. Right?? And we for sure don’t want an independent axom. All we want is peace and a chance to prove our mettle without the fear of being maimed or killed by bullets and bombs Maybe its time for ULFA to accept the realities and sit down for talks . In any case, If they are so sure of public support then I dare them to fight the elections and win it (Remember mizoram???). It’s a! lways better to be the CM of a state then to live without statehood with the constant fear of being hunted down, I guess.      I have my reasons to say that ULFA is fighting a loosing battle. In fact they are doomed (harsh words but might turn prophetic). First of all, gaining the so called independence is just not possible in their (ULFA top brasses’) life time. Secondly, ULFA doesn’t have well groomed, powerful and competent second rung leaders... the infighting in ULFA proves it... The core committee members of ULFA, most of them who are in jail, are ageing. If not by bullet, they’ll die of old age and no matter what they think of themselves, the fact remains that they are old. What or who after them? They will soon disintegrate. What they can possibly do is to buy more time and try increase the longevity of their so called ‘freedom struggle’. In fact they are doing just that by saying that they are ready to sit for talks .with the erstwhi! le ‘partners’ / ideological brothers of ULFA viz. NDFB and BLT etc leaving them in a lurch ..They hardly have other alternatives. Even their so called interest for talks, I feel, is just a mask to help get their leaders out from jails (release of its leaders being a pre-condition for talks). They used the same ploy in 1991-92 to help release their top cadres after the aftermath OP. BAJRANG. Ain’t it?     They say that axom is a classic case of neglect by the ‘foreign occupying forces’. And they want to give axom back to axomiyas. Well, I say, assam lags in investments because of ULFA and also to some extent because of the fact that the assamese people has been stereotyped as laziness personified by the rest of India (lahe-lahe syndrome). Who’d want to invest in Assam when there is a constant threat to life? not to talk of the rampant extortions?? Surely, I wouldn’t as an investor.     . Assam doesn’t need independence to grow and develop...It’s the crab-mentality of us assamese people that needs to be banished .only then will Assam prosper.     Actually there are lots of points to talk and counter-talk about. But this mail is getting longer by the minutes so I better sign off here and pause to get the views of other members... but before I do that, one final thought.   Let’s consider a purely hypothetical scenario. Assam gets its independence finally. What next?? There will be demand for independent bodoland, independent dimaraji, the karbis will ask for their own home land and so will the mishings and host of other communities . Even if we consider for a moment that there won’t be any such demands, what will Assam live on?? Tea and oil (which is very miniscule)? C’mon, give me a break.     Btw, guwahati is the second fastest growing city in the whole of south and south-east asian countries after b’lore. This shows that the penchant for development is there .but only if u give it a chance ..and of course the consumer market is booming going by the numbers of Mercedes and other high end cars that are hitting the roads of ghy ( earlier Mercedes means its either from jorhat or from dibrugarh/tinsukia the tea- belt). And this rise in consumerism (in ghy and elsewhere) is indirectly proportional to the decline of ULFA. Touché.   regards, tridip Lucknow   ( i hope i get some views either refuting it in totality or subscribing to it..... if not anything, at least it will expand my horizon)     Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam

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