[Assam] Rhino Charge stories !

Mon Jan 1 11:28:23 EST 2007

Happy New Year, Rajib, and thank you for liking the "Rhino Charge" story! My 9-year old grand-daughter has spoiled me by turning me into a story-teller ! In fact, I have more stories to tell, provided you guys like it and address me as "Himendra Uncle" or "Granduncle Himendra" --- depending upon the age-group.

I completely agree with you that "I personally don't see the name change (or leaving the name alone) as a major theme." The "Petition" is not about the name change, but against the action of the Assam Assembly who did not have the right to change the name of the State. This was pointed out by Rajen Barua as "Again the purpose of the petition is simply to stop the GOA to change the name so that we have a discussion in a democratic process if we want to change the name at all." 

However, in the current draft of the "Petition," the kernel purpose stated above got shrouded by tributes to Dutch sailors and promotion of the X-sound based on incomplete research. I signed the "Petition" on the condition that these extraneous materials will be deleted, and the "Petition" will be short & strong. 

I am sorry if you are offended because I used the word despondent --- which means "feeling or expressing depression of spirit from loss of hope, confidence or courage." 

We are all suffering from "despondency" at this time --- myself, my friend Indrajit Baruah, and many others. 

Despondency is just human. In fact, there is a historical record that, standing at the exterior foot of the huge Mughal Fort in Guwahati in 1669, Lachit became despondent when he and a small group of his friends came to take it by guerrilla attack at night, a technique that he perfected at Dikhowmukh six years back during the Mirjumla's occupation of Gargaon in 1663. 

However, Lachit got over the temporary spell of despondency, took the Mughal Fort very skillfully, imprisoned and sent the Mughal Governor Sayed Channa to Gargaon as a Prisoner of War. Later, King Chakradhwaj Singha appointed Lachit as the Borphukan ---- you know the rest of the story --- he routed the Mughals at the Battle of Saraighat in 1672.

Being despondent is nothing wrong, as long as it triggers our inner strength to stand up and claim our rights. But, whatever we do must be done skillfully --- yogah karmasu kaushalam --- apply the highest skill in your work. This is from the emblem of IIT Kharagpur. 

One of the first skill is to identify the problem. You are right to identify the problem as "need for the people on the ground" which you elucidated by comparing the economic condition & work condition between Assam & Karnataka. 

However, if you scrutinize further, it may become clear that the disparity of the economic/work condition is only an external symptom --- you have already seen the bomb-blast by the insurgent groups: they got started as a protest to the exploitations by politicians clinging to power with dirty vote-bank politics, encouraging illegal infiltration of foreigners who are endangering the very existence of the Assamese people today. That is the real problem. Our Land --- with our rivers and hills --- is our fundamental right. "We don't want money. We want our land back" is the battle-cry of the Assamese today. Once we can secure our land, economic growth will follow. We must not lose our land for the sake of economic growth, which is as temporary as a rainbow or a mirage.

The short & strong "Petition" will be a reminder to the vote-bank politicians about the  "rhino charge" of the Assamese.

With love to everybody,

Himendra

PS to Mohan Pelleti:

Dear Mohan, For the success and effectiveness of the "Petition", it should not have multiple goals. Research of the subject is a topic in the universities & colleges, not in the "Petition." We must be prepared that the "Petition" will be referred to the Parliament and Parliamentary Committees in future. The "Petition" must be rewritten by deleting the extraneous materials like tributes to Dutch sailors and the promotion of the X-sound based on incomplete research, which will turn the "Petition" into a laughing stock. I signed the "Petition" on that condition, so that the "Petition" will be short & strong. 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rajib Das" <rajibdas at yahoo.com>
To: "Himendra Thakur" <hthakur at comcast.net>; "shantikam hazarika" <shntikamhaz at hotmail.com>
Cc: <assam at assamnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 6:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Rhino Charge stories !

> Himenda,
> 
> Thanks for the stories - I always like them.
> 
> No - my mail wasn't about being despondent. Far from
> it. 
> 
> There were 2 themes I watched unfold in this visit to
> Assam in December - The cottage industry around bomb
> blasts - Rs. 500 fetches one - (I saw the Ghy railway
> station one at close quarters) and the rise of malls
> (not one actively managed beyond the Marwari
> community). It contrasted against what I saw elsewhere
> - in the small towns of South Karnataka and Pune
> (though Kerala maintains its Communist ennui). 
> 
> I personally don't see the name change (or leaving the
> name alone) as a major theme - a felt need for the
> people on the ground. Hence I posed the question to
> those that know better about how relevant it is either
> which way. 
> 
> Wish you a very happy new year! 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Rajib
> 
> 
> --- Himendra Thakur <hthakur at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> > Dear Shantikam,
> > 
> > Happy New Year to you, your family and your friends
> > !
> > 
> > I am glad you liked the true-story of the
> > rhino-charge imagery in Calcutta
> > Press in 1946. The rhino dominated some other areas
> > of literature for some
> > time. I remember just two more episodes which I'll
> > write if everybody wants
> > it. Until such time, Happy New Year to everybody !
> > 
> > With the best,
> > Himendra
> > 
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "shantikam hazarika" <shntikamhaz at hotmail.com>
> > To: <hthakur at comcast.net>; <rajibdas at yahoo.com>
> > Cc: <dasmk2k at gmail.com>; <ankur_bora2000 at yahoo.com>;
> > <assam at assamnet.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 3:19 AM
> > Subject: Rhino Charge stories !
> > 
> > 
> > >
> > > That was exciting. Can we have some enterprising
> > Assamese who can retrieve
> > > the cartoons? That may bolster Assamese morale and
> > the journey back from
> > the
> > > prevalent despondency?
> > > Bordoloi was really a lion, why could not the
> > others be like him?
> > > Shantikam
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: "Himendra Thakur" <hthakur at comcast.net>
> > > >To: "Rajib Das" <rajibdas at yahoo.com>
> > > >CC: "shantikam hazarika"
> > <shntikamhaz at hotmail.com>,"Manoj Das"
> > > ><dasmk2k at gmail.com>,"Ankur Bora"
> > > ><ankur_bora2000 at yahoo.com>,<assam at assamnet.org>
> > > >Subject: Rhino Charge stories !
> > > >Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2006 10:38:49 -0800
> > > >
> > > >Dear Rajib,
> > > >Thank you for mentioning the "rhino charge" ! Let
> > us break away from
> > > >serious discussion for a while and get into
> > experience sharing !!
> > > >   The first "rhino charge" cartoon that I saw as
> > a schoolboy in Tezpur
> > was
> > > >in 1946 (long before you were born, maybe before
> > your parents were born!)
> > > >when Assam blasted the "Grouping Proposal"
> > brought from London by a
> > > >high-powered Cabinet Mission from the British
> > Parliament. "Grouping" was
> > > >supported by Nehru as a quick alternative to his
> > power, who rebuked Assam
> > > >with his infamous statement: "Assam must
> > sacrifice for the greater cause
> > of
> > > >India."
> > > >   The Calcutta Press wholeheartedly supported
> > Assam during our struggle
> > > >for survival from the "Grouping" trap in May
> > 1946. That was where I saw
> > the
> > > >cartoon of "rhino charge" for the first time --- 
> > a rhino (marked Assam)
> > > >charging with its head down towards a  bunch of
> > British Parliamentarians
> > > >who were running helter-skelter with "Grouping
> > Proposal" papers flying
> > all
> > > >over --- will one of our young artists redraw
> > that cartoon just for fun
> > > >today? That will be very exciting !
> > > >   Gaining international and national admiration
> > for stubbornness, Assam
> > > >was very soon promoted to the image of a lion: In
> > the terrible "Direct
> > > >Action" in Calcutta by Pakistan-supporters on
> > August 16, 17 & 18, 1946,
> > an
> > > >Assamese student, Poet Amulya Barua was killed by
> > the Muslim rioters.  In
> > a
> > > >prompt telegraph to Surhawardy, the
> > Pakistan-supporter Prime Minister of
> > > >Bengal (a Chief Minister was called "Prime
> > Minister" in those days),
> > > >Gopinath Bardoloi, the Prime Minister of Assam
> > asked whether he should
> > > >dispatch a few battalions of Assam Rifles to
> > Calcutta if Surhawardy did
> > not
> > > >have enough policemen to control the rioters.
> > > >   This was headlined in the Calcutta newspapers
> > as "Assam Lion Roars ."
> > > >We must revive our self-confidence that we
> > inherited from the historical
> > > >days of Chakradhwaj Singha, Atan Buragohain,
> > Lachit Barphukan, to mention
> > > >just a few. Your opinion  "Does anyone on the
> > ground really care ? "
> > > >carries an undercurrent note of despondency. We
> > must wake up from
> > despair,
> > > >stand on our own feet and claim our rights: Assam
> > Assembly does not have
> > > >the rights to change the name of the State
> > without public
> > endorsement ----
> > > >that is the crux of the "Petition" which should
> > be rewritten in a  brief
> > > >format without the Dutch connection and without
> > the controversial issues
> > > >like X sound, etc.
> > > >With love to everybody,
> > > >Himendra
> > >
> > >
> >
> _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> > 
> > 
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