[Assam] On Blogging Ban/ToI Blog Post

[Chan Mahanta]

Last week I visited a blog site on the Times of India web page. It 
had numerous posts, actually going wild. But the content was largely 
mind-numbingly stupid. There was one that I spotted that made sense. 
My response below ( I wrote under the pseudonym of UR Conscience). 
The poster agreed with my views, but explained his/her misgivings 
about if anything could be done.I had a follow-thru, but did not keep 
a copy. The site has been gone the last two days.

cm




# re: What Can I Do For My Country?  7/16/2006 7:12 PM   (UR Conscience)

  That was a positive call . It was a breath of fresh air amidst the 
tidal-wave of mindless outpourings that have jammed the print media, 
the airwaves and the internet this past week.

But what did you get? What does the barrage of garbage that answered 
your call tell you about the state of your society, your 
intelligentsia, if anyone can call it that? Mind you, those who are 
sent to govern are a product and a choice of the same milieu.

You cannot do anything for your COUNTRY. The country is an 
abstraction. It is made up of individuals. Many different individuals 
with widely differing circumstances, needs and ideals. But those who 
share the circumstances, the needs and the ideals, can work together
to better their own lots. If these individuals' and groups' 
well-being is enhanced, then the country's well-being is enhanced too.

However these various individuals and groups are not the same, not 
homogeneous. You will need to understand and respect that.

Kashmiris have different aspirations from Tamils from Biharis from
Assamese from Nagas. When the so-called patriots attempt to lash them 
together to create a homogeneous nation with super-power aspirations, 
they go against natural law. History has proven, over and over again, 
that such attempts never succeeded, or if succeeded temporarily, 
never lasted. Look at what happened to Soviet Russia, with its 
draconian rules, highly organized and ruthless state machinery and 
its military might. China is an exception. But it is held together by 
brute force. Sooner or later it too shall disintegrate, unless 
conditions are created by its population for its many constituents to 
work together for a common good, under their own volition, exercising 
their free-will.

Indian intelligentsia, its press and its politicians lack the 
intellectual wherewithal to clearly explain that to the population. 
They can explain only if they themselves know the difference. Look at 
the posters in this blog: They are the country's elite. They 
obviously have an 'education', they are financially secure and have 
access to the world's most sophisticated tools of communication.

But what are they telling you?

India has a long , long way to go. First you will need to raise a new 
generation of Indians who are capable of thinking clearly and 
critically. The ability to do good math or write software code or 
producing good exam. takers by the zillions riding on the back of 
rote-learning sans the critical component, will never take the nation 
to the promised--make that --wished for --- land.

That job could be done only by people like yourselves. And by 
CHALLENGING everything that you take for granted. Don't ever again 
say things like "--we can't change the law and must work within it".
India has far too many laws that are a hindrance for progress. They 
are designed to stifle the progressive, the doers, but to reward 
those who break them. If you attempt play the game by THEIR rules, 
your efforts, rest assured, will be dead on arrival. Question 
authority, change what does not work. And most of all RESPECT the 
yearning for freedom of its many disparate constituents.

Kashmir would be a very good place to start.

Best to you.

UR Conscience
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