[Assam] Demands for Separate states in India

[Ram Sarangapani]

C'da,

We have had a lot of discussions, back and forth about the necessity and
viability for Assam's independence and then survival.

I am now starting to think that this 25-year old movement you talk about,
cannot really be about economic resources or GOI's assumed and unassumed
mal-treatment of Assam. Those things are just icing on the cake.

The reason I say this is because, if this were based purely on economic
factors, then an independent Assam cannot (at least in the near furture) be
better than India. In all probablity, it would take another 50 years or so
to reach where India is today - given the right conditions and in the best
of the worlds.

Further, an independent Assam cannot be suddenly immune to the broken govt.
setup and lack of accountability that you so often accuse GOI of. The
accountability, and the throwing a couple of top guilty leaders into prison
to set things aright can be done in some sort of dictatorship/Communistic
setup EASILY - not so in a free-for-all democracy. Unfortunately, in a
Democracy there would be due process :-). Is that the prescription for the
new Assam?

So, what then is the core idea behind this movement? It has to be political?
Once that die is cast, all it then takes is to fire up pent up emotions of
many disgruntled youth and blame it on the GOI. It is an easy whipping boy,
and easier to deflect any and all problems in Assam somewhere else. The
Center too has played into this game either through lack of foresight and/or
ignorance.

If it were economics only, then why haven't other parts also gone haywire?
Also, it is interesting you mention the Naxal movement in 1/3 of the
districts. Don't know where you get your figures from, but assuming they
are right -
Why is poor governance at the Center, elicit a political backlash from the
Naxals? The Naxals are a Marxist-Leninist group, who settle problems with
guns and violence. What they have done is to play up the emotions of the
poor and down-trodden in places like Andhra and then it is a MOVEMENT.
If the governance at the center was so bad, why did the Naxals not demand
for that (even with violence). No, for the last 30 years or so, they have
been waging a low-intensity war with a Marxist-Leninist agenda. What they
want is that kind of prescription for India. That war will never end for
them till India becomes Communist (M-L).

Yes, exactly, that is what it must be: There are hidden agendas all over the
place. Caught in the middle are common, ordinary people. No one actually
thinks about them - not the GOI, the GOA, Andhra, the Naxals or the so many
insurgents groups. But they all put the 'Common-Man' up front & center.

--Ram


--Ram




On 8/27/06, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
> >  >No, they did not seize power - they did contest elections, you have to
> >give them that. After that, it was all about themselves as individuals
> >and promises remained promises.
>
>
> *** And that being different from WHOM again? Like WHO, and where,
> has it been any different Ram? Do tell us, please! It would be a
> great bit of education, for which I shall forever remain indebted to
> you :-).
>
>
> Point therefore is, that UNLESS the governmental system could be
> re-tooled, reformed, you will continue to see 'jeyei lonkaloi jai,
> xeyei ravon hoy' phenomenon.
>
> >  >All I am saying is that these leaders you uphold so much are no
> >different than any other desi politician.
>
>
> *** That would not  matter, if there are functioning institutions of
> government that would hold these folks to account for their
> performance or absence there-of. That is the big difference.
>
> >  >You can have all the operators, checks and balances, a barnd-spanking
> >new 'shistem' but if the powers that be will NOT let you implement
> >them, how is an independent Assam going to practice them?
>
>
> *** It is as simple as holding a few responsible high-ups
> accountable. If a corrupt big-babu goes to prison, all the minions
> would fall into place instantly. That IS deterrence!
>
> >  >The good people most of know wouldn't touch Assam politics
> >with a barge pole
>
> *** And that is EXACTLY why governance needs to be reformed,
> re-engineered, so that good , able people could be brought in to
> serve their country's needs.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> At 1:10 PM -0500 8/26/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> >C'da,
> >
> >>Are you suggesting that these folks, unable to
> >>seize power through 'legitimate', desi means, decided to grab it
> >>through the agitation, forcibly removing the legitimate powers who
> >>were occupying the 'gaddi' while Assam smoldered
> >
> >No, they did not seize power - they did contest elections, you have to
> >give them that. After that, it was all about themselves as individuals
> >and promises remained promises.
> >
> >All I am saying is that these leaders you uphold so much are no
> >different than any other desi politician. If the ULFA leadership
> >assumes power tomorrow, we can expect nothing more (probably worse -
> >judging from their fantastic track record of extortion, killing
> >innocents, aligning with groups like ISI and B'Desh.)
> >
> >The problem (for Assam) has nothing to do with 'saffron'. The hatred
> >of ISI/B'desh cannot and should not be translated into
> >'Assamese-B'deshi-ISI bhai-bhai'. They are no friends of India, but by
> >no means should anyone (including those wanting independence) for that
> >to mean the 'enemy of my enemy is my friend'.
> >
> >>*** But the point  I was making, and you digress from, is that the
> >>people of Assam, ( excepting the Bengali speakers and the
> >>Hindiwallas), by and large did close ranks behind the agitators,
> >>didn't they? And it included Bodos, Misings,Karbis, Ahoms and
> >>even > Bamuns. Am I incorrect about that?
> >
> >You are right.But didn't we all got taken for a long ride on that
> >gravy train? What makes you think the 'new leaders' will be different.
> >
> >You can have all the operators, checks and balances, a barnd-spanking
> >new 'shistem' but if the powers that be will NOT let you implement
> >them, how is an independent Assam going to practice them?
> >
> >>The good news is that Assam  has plenty of those. The question is
> >>HOW to bring them on board? And how to get the right apparatus >for
> >them to work with.
> >
> >Yeah right. The good people most of know wouldn't touch Assam politics
> >with a barge pole. C'da, in the end, Assam, independent or not will at
> >the best case scenario be old wine in a new bottle. One dreads to
> >think of other possibilities in an independent Assam.
> >
> >--Ram
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >On 8/26/06, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
> >>  >  >Divisive agenda? Actually it was power grabbing and a whole lot of
> >>>corruption amongst the leaders.
> >>
> >>*** I am trying to understand what you present, trying to read the
> >>underlying message. Are you suggesting that these folks, unable to
> >>seize power through 'legitimate', desi means, decided to grab it
> >>through the agitation, forcibly removing the legitimate powers who
> >>were occupying the 'gaddi' while Assam smoldered?
> >>
> >>It is hard for me to comprehend this. Would you care to explain the
> >>legitimacy and effectiveness of those who got thrown out by the
> >>agitators ?
> >>
> >>*** But the point  I was making, and you digress from, is that the
> >>people of Assam, ( excepting the Bengali speakers and the
> >>Hindiwallas), by and large did close ranks behind the agitators,
> >>didn't they? And it included Bodos, Misings,Karbis, Ahoms and even
> >>Bamuns. Am I incorrect about that?
> >>
> >>
> >>>and a whole lot of corruption amongst the leaders.
> >>
> >>*** Corruption is NOT an innate condition ( you ought to have learned
> >>that by now Ram--tsk, tsk :-)), it was an effect, of falling prey to
> >>the dysfunctional desi-governmental system and its vested machinery.
> >>They did not realize that merely a turn-over of the people at the
> >>wheels of this system was not going to be enough to make a difference
> >>for Assam. It required radical overhauling, if not entirely replacing
> >>the defective, antiquated,hand-me-down machinery of a colonial past.
> >>
> >>>   >Aren't the new 'andwlon' leaders now
> >>>fighting for 'independence' cut from a similar cloth? Are they any
> different
> >>
> >>*** You keep making the same mistake over and over again Ram :-). It
> >>is NOT the people ALONE that matters. It is the machinery that
> >>requires major overhauling. Of course better trained, able and
> >>passionate operators are required too. The good news is that Assam
> >>has plenty of those. The question is HOW to bring them on board? And
> >>how to get the right apparatus for them to work with.
> >>
> >>>   >No, no, I could be wrong here, there may actually be an
> >>>infusion of new ideas here - you know from B'Desh and the ISI.
> >>
> >>*** Ram, Ram, Ram! You are letting your guard down --- your saffron
> >>is showing :-)!
> >>
> >>
> >>c-da
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>At 10:41 AM -0500 8/26/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> >>>C'da,
> >>>
> >>>>Unfortunately the 'andwlon' leadership had a divisive agenda, was
> >>>>uneducated about how to form a government and reform it to move
> >>>>forward. They young folks thought that changing of the guard was
> >>>>enough to take them to the promised land. It was a profoundly
> >>>>faulty perception as it proved to be in very short order.
> >>>
> >>>Divisive agenda? Actually it was power grabbing and a whole lot of
> >>>corruption amongst the leaders. Aren't the new 'andwlon' leaders now
> >>>fighting for 'independence' cut from a similar cloth? Are they any
> >>>different? No, no, I could be wrong here, there may actually be an
> >>>infusion of new ideas here - you know from B'Desh and the ISI. :-)
> >>>
> >>>--Ram
>
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