I have been living abroad for many years. At the same time I also visit my family in Assam quite often. Thus one may say that I have one leg in Assam and one leg in the US - both pretty firmly placed.
>From Mrinal Talukdar's email below one gets the notion that those in Assam >(including my own family) have "missed the boat". But if you really think >about it - it is the choices that one makes that puts them in one place versus >another - geographically speaking. So there is meaning and value to lives >spent both in the US and in Assam. Many people who live abroad do think about Assam and about India and our responsibilities. More importantly, many of us have done something about it in our own small ways to help people in Assam. It is just that unlike those in Assam/India where many public actions are accompanied by public meetings and newspaper stories we are used to doing things quietly. For example, only recently a school girl from NJ raised money from us and brought art supplies to a poor school around Guwahati. The same girl also took many toys to under priviledged kids in the past! Her actions were not publicized as she just wanted to do something - period. I am glad that Mrinal Talukdar is a journalist. Because I always notice that our newspapers are full of extensive political coverage which does not do the average person much good. Educational and informative positive news are what is needed to encourage people anywhere. As for those choosing to call Assam home, they need not look at "beautiful picture perfect countryside" seen in TV or movies from abroad. The Assamese countryside is quite beautiful by itself. It is the heaps of garbage and plastic in front of homes and shops that spoil everything. One should not need outside help to clean one's house. Bottom line is that we are ready and willing to help (and have helped before) but you must also be willing to help yourself. We cannot reduce the number of school/office holidays, you will have to work on that so that productivity goes up. Without hard work a nation cannot suceed no matter how much help it gets. Best wishes, Aradhana Baruah Satin, USA From: "Mrinal Talukdar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [email protected] To: <[email protected]> CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours Date: 19 Nov 2006 01:49:09 -0000 To all those Non Resident Asomiya (Specially US based) For months I have been noticing your deep concern over the fate of Asom & Asomiyas. It is nice to see those who have deserted their motherland for greener pastures, could give so much time thinking about their beloved state. It is heartening to see. Will it not be better, if you channelise your energy to do something on the ground even through the smallest way using your own family and friends? What is the point wasting your "valuable" energy criticising everything about Asom, its bureaucracy and blah blah ... ... ... Why not you spend some time in Asom every year to see how we creatures (those who missed the bus/opportunity to go abroad and settle there) are living and still laughing and enjoying like all you do in those beautiful picture perfect countryside that we only see in the Movies and Televisions. There is a world beyond your laptop screen. There are also people who from a Pan shopkeeper has risen to supply 350 liters of milk to Guwahati from nearby village every day. There are ladies like Feroza Begun who staying at Kohora is supplying home-pickles to all the big hotels and tourist of Kaziranga along with 35 other women through a self help groups. You can read 25 other such remarkable stories in the book "Man karilei Son". Yes we are backward, yes our bureaucracy are corrupt, yes insurgency is mindless but we are also surviving. You are better educated and have higher income as well IQ then most of the ordinary "creature" of Asom. Will it not be a great idea if you all do something for Asom in smallest way rather then giving a ring side sermons and lectures with your laptops? For last 20 years of my journalistic experience, I have been witnessing this sermons and debates. I must have added 8-9 kilos to my budging body weight, eating junk food in the seminars on the subjects ranging from tourism potential to power potential of Asom and the NorthEast. Take the cue from Sanjay Hazarika. He is one of the many who have been silently working for motherland despite staying all his life outside the state. I am mentioning his name just it has occurred to me in a flash. There are more, many more. I am sure you all also come forward. Do some thing. There is a life beyond the screen of your laptop and they are waiting for your knowledge to help them and make a beautiful Asom. Mrinal Talukdar Guwahati 09435040993 ---------------------------------- moderator edited, assamonline
