I thought he was going to come up with something new, not something that we all have "been there, done that".
It is just that we haven't and don't prefer to publish these little personal things on newspapers and magazines or even on electronic forums like this one - if we do, it will be "xohaai kori uthi hekan para" or "hisaab diya", won't it? If answering to "questions" or unsolicited advices on something without having the full information on something (don't get me wrong, we are asking for help from you guys to identify projects so we can target those and send help over time) is being emotional, then that's another perspective that any one is free to have. Thanks for the update on Purbojyoti Chutia's daughter. I plan to meet her personally. - Alpana Sarangapani Spring, Texas. USA. From: "Mrinal Talukdar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [email protected] To: <[email protected]> Subject: [asom] About NRA criticism on Assam Date: 6 Dec 2006 02:01:14 -0000 SORRY ALL. I was away in jungle shooting my next docu. Last time Hollywood and the World, lapped up my docu on the unemployed elephants of Asom, so this time I had to become more careful. I returned back a week back and found out dozens of mail on the subject. I was busy in the Editing studio and took time to take on the criticism. As expected you all have deviated from the main point. As expected you all have strayed from the main point. As expected you all proved yourself be true Asomiya allowing emotion to come before the rationale. Migration is as old as civilization. Even if we look our past, almost half of today's Asomiyas are actually immigrants. Sukhapha brought in Ahoms, Naranaryan brought in the Kochs, Brahmins and Upper caste came from Konouj, my own forefather came from Bengal as my surname clearly suggest. My father migrated to Guwahati in the early fifties from the village like most of your father did. I personally tried to migrate to New Delhi as a young college student in the early eighties, when I lost my father and had to take the family responsibility. Your parents migrated from village to Guwahati and you migrated from Guwahati to outside Assam. Difference is only the distance and mode of travel. So question of who could migrate who could not, does not arise. Migration is purely a personal subject and there can not be any debate on that. Making money is also a purely personal matter. Some are talking of investment by NRA. I feel pity. Frankly speaking I do think NRA are rich enough to be put in that bracket. They are first generation settlers and majority of them have gone there through sheer merit and doing only jobs earning handsome salary, nothing more than that. We should not talk of millions or even thousands and should not talk of investments by them. My intention was to tell you that rather than the criticizing and giving free lectures on everything, why not do something through your friends and family. No body is asking for your money. No body is asking about your millions. By spending 200 dollars you can improve the quality of a village. By spending 100 dollar you can sponsor the education of a child for the whole year. I know you can not trust the NGOs. I know you will ask me to show the way. The problem is the will and attitude. You all have to find out your own module. Maximum I can give you a suggestion only-- sponsor the education of the children of the domestic help that is helping your aging parents back home or sponsor a student or give a computer or laptop to the school from where you excelled. There are thousands of small small ways to pay back. Think small. Stop lecturing. Things will improve automatically. Do not expect a golden Assam in just a decade.. Lastly, I would like to make it clear that my intention was not to hurt someone, not to poke fun at people who has settled outside Assam. Intention was to shake the conscience. If you have love for your motherland, show it and do it. P.S. Thanks to the entire NRA(US) for contributing 300 dollars to help Purbajyoti Chutia's little daughter, who is fighting rare pancreatic disorder. She was operated. It was 80 per cent success. At present she is healthy but under medical supervision. Thanks again for the generous help. It was widely appreciated in Assam media. It was a BIG HELP for the medical expenses. Mrinal Talukdar Guwahati ------- moderator appended ------- From: "Sanjoy Hazarika" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue Dec 5, 2006 9:36 pm Subject: Re: [asom] abut NRA criticism on Assam Dear Mr. Deka: I appreciated your mail. You may recall we met at the Bihu function at Houston in April and I enjoyed that visit, your hospitality and the friendship of many old and new friends. The photographs are with me as a reminder and I wrote about my visit in my column in The Statesman (orth by North East, www.thestatesman.net in May,I think). this is a personal email to you. I notice that many on this group send personal emails out to the whole group instead of directing it to one or two people. best wishes to the family Warm regards Sanjoy (Hazarika) currently in New Delhi (nephew of Ranu Dutta) ---------------------------------------------- On 12/5/06, Dilip/Dil Deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Many of us left Assam several decades ago, then left India for our own reasons. Some have gone back and others will in the future. Some have decided to call their new country their home. The world is small due to modern means of transportation and communication that one can live in USA and still stay involved in activities in Assam up to some extent. Where your heart is what really matters. Countless Americans, with no connection to Asia or Africa, are working for betterment of life in those continents. Why? Because they feel it is their moral obligation to share some of their knowledge and wealth. There are no billionaires and there are only a few millionaires in the NRA community. So investment in Assam from this group will never be big. However the willing NRAs can and will share their knowledge to make the common citizen's life in Assam a little more productive and enjoyable. The connection between interested groups in Assam and USA is slowly getting established. There is nothing on a big scale to hit the newspapers but low key projects have been completed. Dilip Deka Houston, TX, USA Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assamonline/message/2852 -------------------------- moderator edited, assamonline Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assamonline/message/2840
