[Assam] Rhino Charge stories !

[Rajib Das]

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
> >
> >
>
_________________________________________________________________
> > Spice up your IM conversations. New, colorful and
> animated emoticons. Get
> > chatting! http://server1.msn.co.in/SP05/emoticons/
> >
> 
> 
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