[Assam] Prisoners of the Past - Sentinel Letter

[Ram Sarangapani]

This is interesting. Highlights mine.

Being 'Prisoners of the Past' is a favorite pasttime for many Indians (and
obviously Assamese). Though remembering our history is great and often
necessary, just gloating over the past does nothing to ensure our future, if
we don't put efforts into it.

--Ram

Prisoners of the Past
Like every other ethnic community, the Asomiyas too have a glorious past and
are proud of it. Ever since Laxminath Bezbarua wrote the famous poem
extolling the obvious that we Asomiyas were never poor and had a great
heritage, generations of our people have been harping on the same theme.
Three decades ago, Dr Bhupen Hazarika had warned through one of his famous
songs of the imminent dangers of resting on our oars out of such
complacency, but without much success in changing the Asomiya mindset.
*And due to the complacency born out of such a bloated ego, outsiders, both
legal and illegal, have cornered almost every lucrative aspect of trade and
commerce in Asom.* Except for some corrupt officials, fleecing professionals
and some goons masquerading as first-generation businessmen, *the average
Asomiya has become poorer by the day*. While a large number of Asomiya
youths have migrated outside the State to face the tough competition for
earning a living,* a sizable section of them continues to be motivated to go
underground and involve itself in extortion and fratricidal killings in
order to liberate and take back their motherland to its glorious past!
*At a time when the *world is termed ''flat'', in the bargain for peace in
Asom, we are being asked to go back to a period beyond 1828 when it was a
sovereign monarchy*, which incidentally had much larger territorial limits
than what it is today, and which the British had annexed taking advantage of
the events following an act of treachery by a member of the then royal
family.
*Asomiya think tanks, barring a few, are maintaining safe distance by being
ambiguous* on this controversial issue involving the future of the Asomiya
community, and seem to be waiting for another proverbial sentiment wave to
surge. It is high time they made their stand clear: whether they are for or
against the call for sovereignty in exchange of durable peace in Asom.
Remember, we must move with the changing times.
HK Borah,
Guwahati-6.
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