[Assam] From Waterwatch

[Ram Sarangapani]

C'da,

 >These kind of explanations are little more than thinly disguised >attempts
to absolve India of its CONTROLs and to legitimize its >colonial ownership
of the resources and the land of the people who >call it home.


You are just rehashing an old argument here. The question one may ponder is,
how is it that a 'corrupt' state like Karnataka is more developed than say
Assam?
Is it because the Center has given more to the southern states?
They get preferential treatment, what?.

Or is it because our representatives go to New Delhi and basically keep
their seats warm? Or they just don't care?

If the Center is bad or there is mal-governance, all states are affected.
Somehow, some states are able to deal with it better than others.
A good example is UP and MP (and Bihar too). Both these states get the
lion's share of allocations from the Center. Yet, due to corruption and
politicians are more interested in lining their pockets than development for
their states, they are way behind in the national scale.

So, its not just a matter of resource allocation. Its a question of voters
asking and demanding the right things from their representatives.
--Ram


On 3/21/06, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>  Allow me to put it more succinctly:
>
>
> "It is our OWN DAMN FAULT. And we deserve it!"
>
>
> Right?
>
>
> *WRONG!*
>
>
> These kind of explanations are little more than thinly disguised attempts
> to absolve India of its CONTROLs and to legitimize its colonial ownership of
> the resources and the land of the people who call it home.
>
>
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> At 3:15 PM -0600 3/21/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>
> >Why we don't care?
>
>
>
> Thats a good question.
>
> People may not care for a number of reasons. But the foremost must be be
> the general attitude.
>
> In Assam, we cannot say people do not 'demand' to get things done.
>
> But over the years we have seen that many of the issues we demand are
> related to 'identity' or some such thing. Identity is an important factor,
> and I am not saying we shouldn't seek to protect it.
>
> However, we don't 'demand' with the same gusto and spirit on other issues.
>
> Examples:
>
> Why has there been no agitation for 100% electricity in our villages? Or
> for clean water? Or why has there been no agitation for a comprhensive
> long-term flood control plan? Why do we wait every year after the flood to
> tell the govt.
>
> Why hasn't the whole state (before elections) demanded that xyz industry
> or manufacturing be setup in Assam?
>
>
>
> We never do. Maybe the priorities are different.Our politicians have no
> fear of not being re-elected. They know, they have to canvas for few months
> before elections, bribe their way thru, and once elected, they need not look
> back, ever.
>
> --Ram
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