[Assam] Re Your Letter

[Chan Mahanta]

Dear Mr. Phukan:

I was appalled not only by the tone of your letter but also with the 
lack of substance in it.

Those of us 'Probaxi Oxomiyas' living outside of Assam, do care about 
Assam's welfare. We also are ambassadors for Assam, albeit 
self-appointed ones, in far off lands. Our ethnic identity remains 
firmly embedded with Assam.

Please note here that I am NOT referring to Assam as Asom, or Axom or 
other such absurd ways. Assam is known to the world outside as Assam. 
It IS indeed a brand name. And I support all those who speak in favor 
of maintaining it.

Many of us who do not live in Assam any more, continue to communicate 
with our fellow 'Probaxi Oxomiyas' and Oxomiyas in Assam, in 
Assamese. The internet is a widely used medium. In this medium we use 
Roman script for transliterating Oxomiya words,letters and numbers. 
Since our Oxomiya 'xo' sound is unique, many of us maintain its 
uniqueness by representing it with the internationally recognized 
SYMBOL for 'velar fricatives', the English letter 'x'. It is NOT 
represented adequately by 's' or 'sh' or 'kh' or 'hk' and other such 
symbols.
When we attempt to portray the Assamese term for Assam in the Roman 
script, the only INTUITIVE one is as 'Oxom'.

I hope you will consider weighing this subject a bit more 
thoughtfully, paying attention to the logic behind many Probaxi 
Oxomiyas' opposition to changing Assam to Asom or other such absurd 
ways. Because the most widespread users of transliterating Assamese 
words and letters are those of us who live away from Assam, and we do 
have a vested interest in doing it in an intuitive and widely 
recognized way.

Best,

Chandan Mahanta
USA












To,
  the Editor

                       The Brand Name called "Ass"

Dear Sir,

              It was on the 17th March, Friday, 2006. I read a news 
item in the vernacular daily called "Aamaar  Asom" published in the 
front page.
                         It so happened that the so called C-in-C of 
the ULFA, Paresh Barua has said that the name of Assam ought to be 
changed to "Kamrup" or "Pragjyotishpur". But does this fellow know 
that erstwhile Pragjyotishpur or present Kamrup consisted only of 
Guwahati and its nearby areas and villages ? I just don't understand 
why does a responsible citizen like Nagen Saikia (the editor of the 
above mentioned daily) publish such rubbish utterings by the ULFA or 
any such sources.
                       Also, its disgusting to read the irrevalent 
dictats of expatriates nestled and settled in distant cities around 
the globe regarding what needs to be done out here. Its strange to 
hear them talk about the brand name called "Assam". First, let us 
know how many people in the world or be in India know about the 
existence of a place called "Assam".  Of late, "Assam" has also 
become the "brand name" for the "asses" called "Assamese".

                                                            
 
Yours truly---------
 
Simanta Phukan,
                                                                                Guwahati 
- 9.
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