I totally agree with the views of Mr. Hazarika. When I left Assam for my graduate studies, I had lot of problems in my University. I was a big Chauvinist, well I left no stone unturned to prove that we Assamese are full of potential, great people etc etc. I was doing well in my studies but in a conventional way. We were groomed in school( I am talking about 1994) in such a way that you have to get a good percentage, get letter marks, distinction etc, but we were never exposed to competition.
I got good percentage but as I look back I think in the beginning I lacked that Killer-spirit, which is so important to qualify exams and interviews. It took me time to get used to the idea that We (Assamese) suffer from some complexes. Everyone ( I mean most) wants to get a government job on the basis of his degrees but very few prepare for the competitive exams which are mandatory inorder to get a job. There is always a feeling of Victimisation, it is partly true if one looks at history, but I think its a bit exagerrated. Take this example (It is infact my true experience as I am from Sibsagar and my father worked in ONGC). ONGC needs some mid level employees, requirement is only Graduation with 50%. Well what I saw was very funny. Almost all the graduates I knew applied. Infact some of them were actually doing pretty well in some small businesses, but govt jobs, so apply. It was clearly mentioned that there will be a written exam and interview. None of the candidates I knew even bothered to study because for them its their birth right to get the Job as ONGC has huge operations in Sibsagar, so LOCALs should get preference.Infact none of the candidates I knew qualified because according to them the panel had lots of outsiders, so they were biased and corrupted.I am sure there is corruption in almost all govt recruitments, but I am also sure that the LOCALs I knew ddn't deserve to be selected because they were not fit for the job. Me and my friends (all assamese) left our respective Universities (Outside Assam) and most of us are in good jobs by dint of hardwork, paying attention to prepare for competitive exams and interviews, and keeping a professional attitude. What Assam needs is not agitations to get over biases, but hardworking students who have less chauvinism and more pragamtic approach towards life. Its an age of cut-throat competition, we should be prepared to face it before its too late. The best place to inculcate these qualities is in Secondary Schools and Colleges. Lastly, we Assamese have lots of potential but we need proper grooming so that this raw talent can be shaped into a successful career. Regards, Sajid Hussain Europe Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assamonline/message/2527 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assamonline/message/2530
