[Assam] Answers for Chitta-II

[Ram Sarangapani]

Dear Chitta,
> How come we are so ignorant about the ground realities in Assam? And >if
we are convinced that there is some voice/desire for
>freedom from a significant portion of people. What plan the believers have
>with them to go further on.

This is an appropriate question and has been asked numerous times in this
net. However, we have never did get any straight answers. No, I don't
believe there are concrete plans (at least long term). Most of whats
happening seem to be knee-jerk reactions.

Of course, we all know that there is a genuine voice (and desire) in Assam
for independence, and there are are true revolutionaries. Today, I am not
sure if they even exist.
As for ground realities, one doesn't have to travel far from Guwahati to see
the abject poverty and lack of development. I don't think we are ignorant of
these realities. However, as these happen in such frequencies and is so
commonplace, its a crying shame that we have just become so darn immune.

--Ram da



On 2/9/07, chittaranjan pathak <chittaranjanpathak at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Mahanta da
> Thanks-Tangentialy you answered my ACE question. But I
> stand vindicated because you were not able to point me
> towards any place , community, district, region in
> particular from where you hear the muffled cry for
> independence.
> Instead you pointed towards ULFA-is that a revealation
> to us? All I wanted was to know from who else?
> I never for once judged whether this wish, call,
> desire for freedom is just or unjust. All I wanted to
> know from you was whether in 2007 you believe majority
> still wants independence. I know you realise that most
> do not-all have become infidels with their minds
> fogged by pan-Indianess-except ULFA.
> But still there is a wish/dormant belief in you that a
> referendum in Assam will prove all of us wrong.
> By bringing this referendum talk, Mahanta da -here you
> are cornering yourself even more.
> Tell me Mahanta da, whether following are any tell
> tell signs of an Yes to independence in Assam?
> 1) 95% of people in the recent poll rejected ULFA
> rejected Swadhin Asom concept
> 2) 30,000 people in Guwahati swayed to Bhupen
> Hazarika's "We are not sessionist" or something like
> that song at the National Games opening ceremony
> yesterday.
> Tell me Mahanta da-they are not people of Assam. Even
> if there was a semblance of conviction about our wish
> for independence-10%, 5% or 1% of people could have
> walked out.
> These were the same people who boycotted the 83
> election and turnout was 10% and there was not any gun
> trotting AASU guys on street. But passion was
> there-because the majority felt the cause to be just.
>
> You know Mahanta da-I can really go on-do you want me
> to?
> What do you have to say on this?
>
> *** So let me take a stab at your re-phrased ACE
> question, even though to address it in isolation,
> without attempting to understand what 'independence'
> means is at best a silly endeavor. But I know why it
> bothers you to delve into the issues associated with
> 'independence'. It will merely help perpetuate the
> conflict that besets Assam. The choice is yours. You
> can run from the issues all you want, but you cannot
> hide.   So I hope you as a well wisher of Assam, who
> has seen better, would want to apply the lessons
> learnt, to contribute towards betterment of  Assam's
> lot instead of helping perpetuate what is killing it.
>
> NOT AT ALL Mahanta da-I was trying to know apart from
> ULFA who all were there to throw some light on this
> issue associated with "independence". I will have my
> field day with the questions I have. Wish I could get
> reply from those in ssamnet and beyond. Cause
> otherwise you will have bear the mantle-which I know
> you would.
> Regards
>
> Chitta
> Ram da
> It is not me and Mahanta da. Me and many others like
> would know what this is all about? How come we are so
> ignorant about the ground realities in Assam? And if
> we are convinced that there is some voice/desire for
> freedom from a significant portion of people. What
> plan the believers have with them to go further on.
> Because freedom is not the end, it is the beginning.
> Discussing those would be even more interesting.
> But we will get to the end of it-some day
> Regards
> Chittaranjan
>
> --- Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > C'da & Chitta,
> >
> > This is getting more interesting by the second. But
> > I will let Chitta fend
> > for himself (and has ably done so this far).
> >
> > Just wanted to touch  on a small part, and then I
> > will butt out.
> >
> > >So why don't YOU raise your voice to put an end to
> > that debate, by >calling
> > for a free >and fair referendum after a period of
> > unfettered and >informed
> > public debate and >discussion? With the highly
> > revered >Election Commission
> > with its stellar record  at >hand to guarantee the
> > >fairness of an outcome,
> > what seems to be the problem :-)?
> >
> > Calls for a referundum are a common ploy by
> > insurgents and those who think
> > they are fighting for some noble cause. What they
> > really want to do is to
> > put the onus on the country. Its like saying -
> > 'prove that I'am wrong'. Such
> > a ref. would be great for insurgents - it shows that
> > at last someone is
> > paying attention to them, and also if such a thing
> > is ever held, all they
> > have to do is brandish their weapons, kill some who
> > dare to stand up, and
> > the rest of the people will fall in line and vote
> > for the cause (or so they
> > hope). The last thing anyone will see is a 'free &
> > fair' ref.
> >
> > You see it in Kashmir, and you see it in Assam.
> > Now, why should a country try to prove anything to a
> > group of insurgents,
> > who possess only stolen money and guns (but no
> > principles). And further, why
> > should the country want to do that when
> >
> > (a) its against its constitution to give
> > independence to some portion just
> > because a group of wannabes want it
> >
> > ((b) No govt. in the state or Center has the right
> > to give in to such a ref.
> > as Assam is NOT their's to give away to insurgents.
> > All Assamese want is that the Govt. fulfill its
> > obligations to the state
> > (which it hasn't done effectively for the past so
> > many years). And this does
> > not tantamount to seeking independence.
> >
> > (c) And lastly, and more importantly, most people in
> > the state want to
> > remain a part of India.
> >
> > --Ram
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 2/9/07, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >  Hi C:
> > >
> > >
> > > I changed the subject right back. "The Minority
> > Assamese" smacks of a
> > > persecution complex based on ethnic,linguistic or
> > cultural identity.  For
> > > people like you or I, world-citizens, that would
> > be a rather unbecoming
> > > complaint. We ought to pursue more relevant and
> > concrete issues.
> > >
> > >
> > > No I don't think 'Answers for Chitta ' is at all
> > personal. We have had
> > > many such
> > > discourses in assamnet in the past. But if it
> > still bothers you, you are
> > > welcome to change it to something different. But
> > let us not get into such
> > > things as Assamese ethnic persecution complex. We,
> > the caste- Assamese, have
> > > little room to complain about that, if you know
> > what I mean.
> > >
> > >
> > > Allow me to clarify a few of your misconceptions,
> > before we get back to
> > > your questions. And I will continue to resort to
> > cutting and pasting the
> > > questions
> > > to post my response, so that the reader, if there
> > is any, can follow the
> > > context; in spite of your fears about it appearing
> > too argumentative. I have
> > > no problems with that, if YOU don't.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >Bottom line is Mahanta da just because of I am
> > based
> > >
> > > >in Perth or you know my family or my immediate
> > background ,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > *** I don't know anything about you or yours. I
> > don't need to. And I never
> > > would have asked the question, had you NOT
> > prefaced your questions with:
> > >
> > >
> > >         But not all of them-not the ones I know
> > of.* As far as my
> > > relatives,*
> > > *        friends, parents,brothers, numerous
> > cousins spread all*
> > > *        over Assam are concerned (and if you
> > consider them "my own*
> > > *        people"),freedom from India is not much
> > of an issue for them.*
> > >
> > >
> > > I don't take issue with your bringing your kin
> > into the equation. They are
> > > the people we know and understand most. However,
> > when you or I extend the
> > > lessons learnt from that to apply all over Assam,
> > or to the vast majority of
> > > Assam as you do, then we must examine the validity
> > of the premise. Whether
> > > what you and your kin represent is the NORM for
> > the rest of Assam?
> > >
> > >
> > > Do you still see my inquiry therefore  an
> > illogical or irrelevant one,
> > > designed to obfuscate as you insinuate?
> > >
> > >
> > > Now, should you not feel trapped by this request,
> > you can do it , without
> > > divulging specific personal details, like:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >         Grandparents from Lower Assam, rural,
> > subsistence farmers
> > >         with adequate arable land ( or landless
> > sharecroppers, or scions
> > >         of Zamindars, or school teacher in British
> > Assam -- so on and so
> > >         forth)
> > >
> > >
> > >         Father, one of six siblings, local high
> > school topper, MSc GU,
> > >         IAS. Mother, daughter of High Ct clerk. Or
> > Father BSc, Xorobhwg
> > > College,
> > >         Local High School teacher, mother daughter
> > of local Mahajan.
> > >         Grew up in thatched hut, but now have
> > poka-ghor, owns a motor
> > > scooter.
> > >         So on and so forth.
> > >
> > >
> > >         I worked hard, studies at distant High
> > School with a Christian
> > > Saint's
> > >         name, three stars at HS, IIT-Mumbai in
> > Comp. Science, now at
> > > Perth.
> > >         Three Siblings--a doctor, a college
> > teacher and a businessman.
> > >         Twenty two cousins ( by last count),
> > spanning from aspiring IAS to
> > >         AEC Engineer to Wineshop Owner to
> > rice-farmers to a black-sheep in
> > > the
> > >         ULFA.  So on and so forth.
> > >
> > >
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
>
>
>
>
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