[Assam] Acute inferiorty complex IC

Sat Mar 11 08:16:49 PST 2006

Dear Himen-da:
Thanks for your note.
Regarding Assamese having an 'inferiority complex' (written as IC henceforth) I have been saying this for decades now. This is something one can only feel or realize seeing the day to day actions of the Assamese people as a group on national or international level. First we will have to 'recognize the fact that we have this IC. From my side I can write a essay citing examples of Assamese IC. Now some people may not like to agree with me. To them I will simply ask to either counter my arguments or give me some examples whereby we can say that Assamese are not suffering from IC. However, I don't exactly understand when you say we need to discuss this in the net. What we can achieve by discussing this in the net? And I think we have discussed this issue many times in the net.  This is something we can remove by our leaders first by getting rid of this 'IC' themselves and then educating the people by their actions. (Please note that we use the net not to solve problems but just to use it as a 'sounding borad' to test our idea's. >From that angle the net is a very cruel sounding borad. It will hit one back and may hurt if the idea is not sound or true.)

Regarding the slogan "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi"  I would not like to equate this unnecessarily with Krishna's killing Bhishma simply because it will not serve any purpose unless of course one is trying to make poor Lasit an Assamese Krishna.  I think we should not try to defend or justify Lasit more than what he did. Let us leave it a historical fact and let us try to utilize this fact to the advantage of the future of the Assamese. (BTW please note that we try to write ethnic Assamese phonetics in Roman script in the net as opposed to your Sanskritised transliteration writing. So we would write the phrase more like  'dexotkoi mwmai dangor nohoy'. May explain details later. )

Regarding your other  slogan "desh matho eta dharana, thikanar shesh shari", all I can say is that so far I know this is a personal statement (a philosophical quote one may say) being used by Priyanku Sarma in the net. Here again please note that Priyanku used the correct Assamese ethnic spelling as : Dex matho eta dharona, thikonar xex xari..., and not what you spelled above. (Thank you Priyanku). Probably if there is anything more to its meaning, Priyanku can respond.

Now coming to the meaning of the word 'dharona', I think you are trying too hard to find the meaning in Sanskrit grammar book. Please note that this is a simple Assamese word, and many a times, the same word may mean slightly different in Sanskrit than in Assamese. We should try to use the Assamese meaning. From that point, 'dharona' is a simple Assamese word, meaning 'conception' or 'idea' or 'comment' etc. The meaning is clear when we say the Assamese sentence "Ei ghotonatw xomporke twmar ki dharona baru?" Some netters like Alpana and others probably may give you better sentence using the Assamese word 'dharona'.  Anyhow the full meaning of the Priyanku's quote will be : A country is nothing an idea which is only required to use as a last phrase in one's address.  In fact I like this poetic (Omor Khyam type) quote, and I can write volumes in support of this poetic or philosophical statement.

Hope this will make some clarifications. More later.
Thanks
Rajen

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Himendra Thakur 
  To: Barua25 
  Cc: Manoj Das ; J Kalita ; Indrajit Barua ; hthakur at comcast.net ; Ginima Barua ; Dilip/Dil Deka ; Alpana B. Sarangapani ; assam at assamnet.org 
  Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 8:32 AM
  Subject: Acute inferiorty complex

  Dear Rajen,

  Thanks for your letter. The points that you have raised in this letter should definitely be discussed in the net. 

  But, I think what you so correctly said on March 5, 2006 "Assamese are already suffering from acute inferiorty complex"   should be given to PRIORITY in the discussion in the assam-net.

  I congratulate you for pointing out this terrible thing "inferiorty complex" and most earnestly request you to run a discussion on this point in the net. I am trying to start this discussion by quoting Lachit's "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi" (My uncle is not greater than my country)".

  The slogan "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi" (My uncle is not greater than my country)" is actually a re-statement of what Lord Shrikrishna stated in Bhagavadgita. Killing of grand-uncle Bhishma at the "Declared Battle of Kurukshetra"  was justified by Lord Shrikrishna to establish righteousness. The word "righteousness" is the translation of the word "dharma" of the verses 7&8 Chapter 4 of Bhagavadgita.

  When Lachit said "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi" (My uncle is not greater than my country)", he was using the word "desha" to mean a Motherland whose defense was our righteous right. What Lachit said at the spur of the moment appears like a "slogan" to us. This may give some answer to the objection of Jugal Kalita [I apologize if I misunderstood him] about slogans. 

  Another slogan is floating in the net "desh matho eta dharana, thikanar shesh shari" --- I am finding it difficult to translate this into English because the meaning of the word "dharana" is not clear to me. I see "dharana" as the sixth step of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga: (1) Yama,  (2)Niyama, (3) Asana,  (4) Pranayama, (5) Pratyahara, (6)Dharana, (7) Dhyana, and  (8) Samadhi.  

  The propounder of the slogan "desh matho eta dharana, thikanar shesh shari" should give the meaning of the word "dharana"and explain why "dharana" has been equated with "desha". Correct me if I am wrong, I think the slogans like  "desh matho eta dharana, thikanar shesh shari" are generating the acute inferiorty complex"  that you pointed out.

  The propounder & supporters of the slogan "desh matho eta dharana, thikanar shesh shari"  should come forward to compare it with  Lachit's "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi".

  In my opinion, Lachit's "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi" will expel the acute inferiorty complex --- a new, unwanted twist of Assamese mind --- that you so correctly pointed out. 

  With the best wishes,
  Himendra

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Barua25 
    To: Himendra Thakur 
    Cc: hthakur at comcast.net ; Ram Sarangapani ; Manoj Das ; assam at assamnet.org 
    Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 10:52 PM
    Subject: Re: deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi

    Dear Himenda:
    Thanks for your response. Glad to know that the book was a part of your course.
    Regarding the historical data of the story, I think you need to have some back up. Because it is such a horrifying story, it may give the people a completely different picture about Islam. The actual reality however may be quite different. The reason I am saying this is because there is also a opposite side of the story. According to one theory, the religion that suffered most during the Islamic invasion was mainly Buddhism. Buddhism was an organised religion without any defense which was completely wiped out. Hinduism survived under the caste system. Many Brhamins helped and aided the Islamic rulers in the destruction of Buddhism. Many Buddhist temples overnite become Shiva temples etc. Also  the theory says that there was actually no forced conversion at all from Hindus to Islam. That is why one donot find any high caste Hindus being Muslim. All that conversion that happened were the low caste Hindus and they converted themselves to Islam mainly because of the equality that they gained under Islam and to avoid the exploitation from upper caste Hindus.  Today one finds the whole of Bangladesh a Islamic country which were at one time wholly a Buddhist country. There were hardly any Brahmin or any high caste Hindus in Bagladesh. In fact the exploited downtrodden Hindus were taking shelters from exploitation from Hindus upper caste in those three shelter religions: namely Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. 

    On the other hand I have heard story of enmass village conversion to Islam not by force from Islam but due to rejection from the Hindus. There story appeared in Prantik magazine in Assam, a Brahmin village in Assam was converted to Islam because somebody has thrown beef in the village well, and Hindus have refused to accept the village back as Hindus. The village finally had to take to Islam, The Sharmas started to write Ahmed overnite etc.  

    So there may be many sides of the coin, and one need to be careful in making any general statement before checking the facts.
    Thanks
    Rajen

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Himendra Thakur 
      To: Rajen Barua 
      Cc: hthakur at comcast.net ; Ram Sarangapani ; Manoj Das ; assam at assamnet.org 
      Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 6:28 PM
      Subject: deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi

      Dear Rajen,

      Sorry for the delay in replying ! 

      The statement that you referred in your letter below came up in a panel discussion in 1989 at Harvard University where the manuscript of my book "Don't Burn My Mother!" was discussed in a movie script-writing course. (By the way, I got an A in that course ! My added benefit was that I got to see a number of classic movies with commentaries & discussions  at the Harvard University Movie Club --- those were a few wonderful months for me !) 

      Unfortunately, 17 years later now, I don't remember the name of the history scholar who made that statement. It was my fault that I did not follow it up to find it in historical reference or book or article written by any historians. I'll now dig it up and let you know.

      Normally, I furnish a word "assumption" before such statements, which you may have noticed in my other writings.   IF     I miss, please let me know, I'll correct immediately ! All historical facts must be supported by cross-reference, according to the principle of historical studies. I really apologize for missing the word "assumption" before this statement. I thank you for correcting me.

      In this connection, I urge the netters to ponder over the "story" that Lachit beheaded his own uncle for lapse of duty in the Battle of Saraighat and uttered the famous slogan: "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi" (My uncle is not greater than my country) --- this statement was boldly etched at the entrance of the Assam Assembly Hall in Shillong when Shillong was the capital of Assam. 

      Now, I have heard that some people have raised serious objection that this statement cannot be accepted as historical truth due to lack of cross-reference. The netters may throw some light on this.  

      Throughout my life, I grew up with Lachit's  "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi" , and it pained me beyond any consolation that I could not include "deshatkoi momai dangar nohoi"  in my article "ATAN BURAGOHAIN SAKO" because some historian would object. However, in spite of all precautions, the idea of "ATAN BURAGOHAIN SAKO" and the idea of the statue of Swargadev Chakradhwaj Singha were rejected on the grounds that the bridge would encourage garbage dumping, the statue would be a sore thumb, the existing white pillar is an excellent "ABSTRACT" element, the statue of Swargadev Chakradhwaj Singha  would be ugly, "what they did in their time is fine --- we need not build any sako (bridge) or statue to commemorate them" ------ and a hoard of many other "wise" comments. 

      I request the netters to find out the historical truth about Lachit's  "deshatkoi momai dangar nahoi" and advice me if I can include it in a revised version of the article "ATAN BURAGOHAIN SAKO" .

      With the best wishes,

      Himendra

        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Rajen Barua 
        To: Himendra Thakur ; Shantikam Hazarika 
        Cc: assam at assamnet.org 
        Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 10:17 AM
        Subject: invasion of Indo-Gangetic plains by Muslims

        >On January 29, 2006, I clearly wrote in the net that "To protect a family during the early period of invasion of Indo-Gangetic plains, if a family of had five >brothers, two would take conversion to Islam to protect the remaining three. 

        Dear Himen-da:
        I just want to ask you one question. Do you have any proof of the above statement?
        If yes, can you support with any historical reference or book or article written by any historians?
        I never heard such statement from any quarter. So it is very important that we absolutely find the truth
        Rajen.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20060311/7f2722ff/attachment.htm>