Play the blame-game??
[asom] Protesters' "blue jackals" - says ULFA [asom] Mass Resistance against
ULFA
[asom] say no to arms
[asom] ULFA threatens to 'punish' journalists
Gasat uthai imaan dine amoni lagil karone guri katar kotha ulaise? Kiya?
After going through the above posts one persistent thought that cut across my
senses repeatedly was, who else can we blame, but ourselves, for all these
morass and more? With no malice towards ace journos like Samudra Da, Nava Da,
and all the others of the learned ilk that frequent these columns, let me put
this fact straight forward.
"ULFA" meant, means, and will mean "NEWS", let's be honest with ourselves!
Be it an attempt to murder, spread genocide, or give out an ordinary threat
call on the eve of any bandh-day â it smelt hot news, particularly to the
ones responsible in bringing out Page One of the dailiesâ edition, local or
âIndianâ!! No news could parallel the effect that ULFA held. Machines
were stopped midway, prints suspended in animation, till the layouts were
changed, and what was BIG BREAKING news wasnât adjusted on the topmost
column. Not only the rank and file of the journo brigade seemed hyper at that
moment, but so were the managements in many of the esteemed dailies â a trend
that continues till date. What then caused the face-off now? Again, if this is
an awakening, then pray who is that who put the alarm under his pillow and
snored away, "literally, nakot tel di, till the bell could ring no more? I
know, I stand to be guillotined with my statement, but at the cost
of being the true devilâs advocate, pray, is it not all our (mis)doings?
Till yesterday no news seemed juicy enough till a few drops of blood smeared
the top box columns. Reporters of all dialects covertly egged our misguided
brethren to venture further till here comes a point in time of their no return.
Isnât it? A personal contact with the outlawed was an âachievementâ â
a badge of honour. Today, itâs a curse?? Why the double standards? These
âgun-totting outlawsâ then too, with very much the same intention and
sponsorship, built roads, schools and namghars ( read all of these as their
hideouts) and all of us hailed them as the only patriots strutting around, the
oneâs who dared to see beyond these smokescreen were dubbed anti-socials!
If late Hirokjyoti Mahanta is a hero, then so are they allâ¦and if not, then
NONE OF THEM ARE!! And the same goes for the not so-outlawed that strut around
in the state, nor their cronies and particularly the gentleman perpetrators in
varied garbs! Letâs be clear on this aspect at least. NOBODY IS A HERO IN
MY STATE!! Sadly however, till this day these so-called cérébrales share
limelight and same adulation as does Kanaklata and Maniram Dewan. So whatâs
the point in staging these dramas? Here we call out to them to shun the gun,
come back to the mainstream, lead ânormalâ lives, behave responsibly, etc.
etcâ¦.BUT, DID WE DO THEN?? Since we did not, then why should we give them so
much attention now? We moved on...let them also do so. Why canât we just
avoid them, and get on with our everyday lives round-the-year as does all other
people elsewhere in the world? Why are we wasting so much breath and ink on
these and other no-gooders? Do prodigals of
all hues merit being the subject of serious discussion? Donât we have other
burning issues to resolve and burn precious midnight oil? For once the
intelligentsia can prove to be responsible to this effect, I presume? Or am I
still hoping that the cow will finally jump over the moon someday?
P.S.: Your write-up on Assamese films in the Indian Express made a wonderful
brunch in the lazy Sunday afternoon, Samudra Da. Keep the pen going
strongâ¦we expect to read more of such stories from you in the future too.
Yours truly,
Gitanjali Hazarika
