[Assam] : "Group clash in the city: 12 killed, curfew in city"

Sun Nov 25 21:02:26 CST 2007

Question is what now? Is > there a solution?>
Obvious and only workable one is : India  disengages- and PRANTS take over,I defined HOW.
mm
> Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 04:55:06 -0600> To: baruah at bard.edu; assam at assamnet.org; cmahanta at charter.net> From: cmahanta at charter.net> CC: umesh.sh05 at post.harvard.edu; assam at assamnet.org> Subject: Re: [Assam] : "Group clash in the city: 12 killed, curfew in city"> > Thanks much for clearing the name issue up Baruah.> > Now about the issue that created the riots: From the sounds of it, > the issue has been brewing for some time and it is unlikely to be the > last, never mind what our fellow caste Oxomiyas may think of it. If I > am not mistaken, it is an issue very similar to the one in Rajasthan > from a few months back, which ended up in shutting down of Delhi and > many deaths.> > Personally I am quite ignorant of the brewing discontent among the > "Tea Community", a major constituency of the ruling Congress Party if > I am not mistaken. Could that have been the cause of the police's > unwillingness to help maintain order among the protesters, until it > went out of hand? Not that it is unique to this political party and > is the widely prevalent norm all over India. Question is what now? Is > there a solution? The Adivasis' demands are neither unique nor > unexpected, given how India has dealt with ( or more precisely -- > avoided dealing with ) it over the decades. I remember a similar > demand from the Ahom community as well from some time back. Is that > now dormant ?> > Any thoughts?> > Best.> > m> > > > > > > > > At 9:50 AM -0500 11/25/07, baruah at bard.edu wrote:> >Dear Mahanta,> >> >Young activists of what is sometimes called the ?tea community? -- > >the descendants of tea workers in Assam ? prefer the term Adivasi to > >describe their community. The term seeks to emphasize their roots in > >Jharkhand and other parts of India from where their forefathers had > >migrated more than a century ago. Adivasi activists point out that > >since their ethnic kin in their original habitats are recognized as > >scheduled tribes they should have the same status in Assam. There > >are now organizations like Adivasi Cobra Force, Birsa Commando Force > >? named after an Adivasi hero ? and Adivasi Suraksha Samiti (Adivasi > >Protection Committee).> >> >Good wishes,> >> >Sanjib> >> >> >> >Quoting Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>:> >> >>Hello Hazarika:> >>> >>While I appreciate your clarifying what actually took place and how a> >>SECTION of the media presented it, I must come to Umesh's defense here.> >>He merely forwarded what others already posted, namely Assamtimes> >>.org. Umesh and other Assam lovers merely attempt to spread word of> >>trouble, not so much to malign Assam, but to make sure good people get> >>involved to stem the tide of bad happenings. Verifying the facts before> >>spreading the word is not Umesh's responsibility, just like it is not> >>of other netters who love to forward all kinds of stuff that fit their> >>personal political needs. In that Umesh is just another innocent> >>bystander doing what he does best. I know I give him a hard time over> >>many things, but on this count I won't gang up on him.> >>> >>I have a request here. What can you tell us about what the term> >>includes? Is this an euphemism used by the Indian press ( from outside> >>Assam) for Santhals , Tea Garden Laborers and other groups from> >>Central/ north India etc. who have lived long in Assam and are called> >>that historically? Or does it mean indigenous people of Assam like> >>Karbis, Bodos, Misings and the like?> >>> >>At any event why did the Adivasi's have to take to the streets ?> >>Obviously the government has not responded to their demands, would be> >>my conclusion. Are their demands for getting special treatment devised> >>by democratic India for other groups unreasonable and/or unfair? Do> >>the caste-Hindu immigrants who rule the state, people like yourself or> >>myself, oppose it? And if so, why? Is it fair or reasonable, in view of> >>the prevailing Indian system of sharing the spoils?> >>> >>Also, why do you think the police not take appropriate and timely> >>action to allow an orderly protest march, and by their delay and> >>inaction allowed it to degenerate into a riot resulting in loss of> >>lives ? Is it a typical ineptitude of the police in general or a> >>failure of its leadership ? Or was the inaction and/or inappropriate> >>response a result of political interference, typical or otherwise?> >>> >>Finally, to your knowledge, what exactly happened that turned the march> >>into a riot? Did the protesters get unruly by themselves and started to> >>damage public property angering the victims as the assamtimes report> >>indicated? Or were their acts of incitement from the public or the> >>storekeepers that caused it? I am sure there will be demands for a> >>judicial enquiry, the results of which will be either inconclusive or> >>secret and nothing will come out of the effort as countless other such> >>efforts historically have. But we, people like yourselves, myself and> >>others interested would benefit from learning what the truths might> >>have been, even though not officially sanctioned.> >>> >>Thanks in advance for sharing what you may know to be the truths.> >>> >>Best.> >>> >>m> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>At 1:03 PM +0530 11/25/07, Shantikam Hazarika wrote:> >>>Umesh:> >>>do you not have any other work?> >>>The term Adivasi is a north Indian term, not prevalent in Assam and> >>>the fact that the Association is called Adivasi Association indicates> >>>who are the people fomenting trouble in Assam. And, sitting out there> >>>you ought to have waited for the facts to filter before taking the> >>>easy way out of posting a dubious news item on the net to misled> >>>others.> >>>> >>>One of the problem was that the police took a long time to get into> >>>action and the statement in the news that "city police sprung into> >>>action and dispersed the Adivasi people from the> >>>protest rally site" is not true. In fact the frequent use of the term> >>>Adivasi in the news item itself is mischievous, with the intent of> >>>creating a divide.> >>>Sitting in the comforts of the US, please at least try to do something> >>>constructive, instead of spreading canards. I never expected you to> >>>indulge in such things.> >>>Shantikam Hazarika> >>>> >>>On Nov 25, 2007 5:02 AM, umesh sharma <jaipurschool at yahoo.com> wrote:> >>>>> >>>>> >>> > Newsletter Editor <newsletter at assamtimes.org> wrote:> >>>>> >>>>http://www.assamtimes.org/index.php?news=680> >>>>> >>>>Group clash in the city: 12 killed, curfew in city> >>>>> >>>>A string of group clash that leaves twelve people dead, as many as one> >>>>hundred people injured has forced the authority to clamp curfew in the city> >>>>on Saturday. The condition of thirty is reported to be critical.> >>>>> >>>>The violence began as soon as the Advasi people in large numbers were> >>>>holding a rally demanding Scheduled Tribe status for the community.> >>>>> >>>>The Adivasi protesters damaged as many as 150 vehicles while these were> >>>>plying in the Beltola areas. Moreover, some of them vandalized some shops> >>>>and markets in the area.> >>>>> >>>>The angry people in general retaliated by attack and the clash > >>>>left 5 people> >>>>to death.> >>>>> >>>>The city police sprung into action and dispersed the Adivasi > >>>>people from the> >>>>protest rally site. But another group further proceeded to the Khanapara> >>>>areas and then to Ganeshguri areas to stop the city buses.> >>>>> >>>>The public in general got angry with these Adivasi students leaders and> >>>>retaliated with attack. As many as ten Adivasi students have > >>>>fallen injured.> >>>>The injured people have been rushed to the hospital.> >>>>> >>>>The entire Beltola area has come under curfew from 12 noon. The over all> >>>>situation has yet to be quelled.> >>>>> >>>> >>>_______________________________________________> >>>assam mailing list> >>>assam at assamnet.org> >>>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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