[Assam] unproductive issue like english spelling of Assam

[Barua25]

You are absolutely correct.
The name Assam has not yet been officially changed. For this the State will need to change the Constitution. What we are saying, stop this nonsense change right now, we should not waste valuable time and money to change it. Keep the name Assam. What is probelm with the name Assam? We should not go by the whims of personal likes or dislikes.  
Rajen Barua
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ram Sarangapani 
  To: Himendra Thakur 
  Cc: Rajen & Ajanta Barua ; assam at assamnet.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 7:43 PM
  Subject: Re: [Assam] unproductive issue like english spelling of Assam


  Dear Himan da,

  >"Why should we waste our time and energy with completely unproductive issue like english spelling of Assam. "

  On the surface, this might seem to be a valid question, but shouldn't this same question have also been raised when the name Assam was arbitrarily changed to Asom? Why was that in the first place? Most of us were blissfully unaware that there was a problem with the original spelling "Assam". It only became an issue when some thought it was time to make it one by changing the name in some arbitrary fashion.
  For the life of me, I still can't figure out why such a move was ever contemplated.

  On whether something like this is "unproductive" or not, is really relative. Who deems such issues as productive or not? There are far too many issues, many of us discuss, that may seem very "unproductive" to the rest of us, but to some of they are productive. 

  Regards,

  --Ram






   
  On 12/5/06, Himendra Thakur <hthakur at comcast.net> wrote: 
    Mr. Barada Sarma raised an important question "Why should we waste our time and energy with completely unproductive issue like english spelling of Assam. " 

    That question should be answered.

    Himendra Barthakur

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Rajen & Ajanta Barua 
      To: assamonline at yahoogroups.com 
      Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 10:41 PM
      Subject: Re: [Assam] [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours

       
      That is exactly one main point. 
      However in this case the suggestion to change the name ASSAM to ASOM was initiated not by politicians but by late Chandra Prasad Saikia ex President of AXX and the Editor of an Assamese literary magazine 'Gariyashi'.  Politicians simply are following the so called Assamese intellectuals. 
      In my opinion, the Assamese civilization is at such a low point in history today, that there was hardly any strong protests against this move neither by any News Paper Editorials (Assamese or English) nor by any Assamese intellectuals (if there is any of this species left in Assam). Even the educated Assamese and the so called intellectuals are taking a typical Assamese 'Hobo Diok' attitude, ( since it was proposed by CPS the ex President of ASS, let it be, Hobo Diok) and everybody are trying to burry their heads in sand and hoping that by writing ASOM instead of ASSAM, outsiders will pronounce the word as we pronounce it in Assamese word OXOM. (Assamese logic!!) 

      Historically also there is objection to change the name ASSAM to ASOM. The Assam pronunciation had been in vogue since the advent of the Tai Ahoms to Assam who were called at time by the local people (The Sutias, Kasaris etc) by the name Ashyam. (This is again is derived from the Sanskrit word Shyam as we call Thailand, Shyam dex. There were several Hindu colonies in many of the South  East Asian countries in the past when Thailand derived the Sanskrit name Shyam-dex.)  Anyhow, later the Moghols used that name Ashyam for our land, and eventually the Kamrup was replaced by Ashyam. The British simply changed the spelling to Assam keeping the same pronunciation. These are recorded history.  Thus the Assam pronunciation had an eight hundred old years history. 

      With due respect, I must say that late CPS is an Assamese literary figure, but he is neither an historian nor a linguist, and he should not have poked his nose on such sensitive subject 

      Sensible Assamese should protest this move to change the name of Assam strongly as otherwise our democracy itself is at stake with our 'Hobo Diok' attitude.

      Regards
      Rajen Barua

        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Barada Sarma 
        To: assamonline at yahoogroups.com 
        Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 10:35 PM
        Subject: Re: [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours

         

        I have not been able to rationalize what difference would be made by spelling the name of the state with different English letters which cannot reproduce the Assamese sound anyway. 

        What is important as far as the future is concerned is the historical name recognition of unique product like Assam tea. Why should we waste our time and energy with completely unproductive issue like english spelling of Assam. Useless politicians love such useless endevors. 

        Barada sarma

        Matiur Rahman <Matiur.Rahman at dal.ca> wrote: 

          I did not quite understand why we need to change the name of our birth state Assam to Asom. It is already there since its inception, in Assamese language we write Asom always and in international language we write Assam. Note that Assam is an internationally recognized trade name. (Assam Tea, Assam's one horn Rino etc.). 

          In Assam: We are Asomiya, `Asom Bani' (Assamese News Weekly) 
          Internationally: We are known as Assamese. `The Assam Tribune'. (The English Language daily Newspaper). It exists for more than a century. 

          These words are already used since the last many years. 

          Matiur Rahman 
          ====================== 
          Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assamonline/message/2839 





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