[Assam] Self-help groups in Assam transform rural economy - IANS

Wed Jun 4 19:00:08 PDT 2008

Ram Da

  When the people of Assam or any state elect someone, ideally it is thought in a supposedly mature democratic state that the person is capable of representing his constituency. Then when he is made a minister, it is ideally supposed that he has some capability to do the required job. But, in the real world situation, especially in Assam, most of such persons turn out to be rotten self-seekers who are not even imaginative in trying to loot the state. They act in a brazen manner. Among them, a few have recently emerged, who know a bit of statecraft (Ripun Bora was a state civil servant) and also are informed about how to bring in some fund into the state. They are also a bit smarter, because, through propaganda they engineer consent and also spend a part of the fund for some developmental activities. As they are capable of bringing in larger amount of fund, they can part with a bigger sum for developmental work than their incapable predecessors. This I suppose is called the
 'good work' done by the likes of Mr. HB Sharma, Mr. Ripun Bora et al that you have been informed about from Guwahati. 

  Of course, these people have foes within their own ranks. Last night, I was speculating with a friend of mine as to who has engineered this coup the theatre and I indicated to him about Mr. Ripun Borah's published rivalry with Mr. MK Subbah for territory and also the struggle with Mr HB Sharma for inner party position. I told him that if it is a frame up, then the CBI minions would not dare to play such highstake game without some political support. I would not be surprised if the top-boss himself has extended his tacit support for the move.  This morning, the papers have highlighted the conspiracy theory. 

  Like, Chandan Da says, what is in an arrest, and for that matter even in a conviction. Innocent guys get crucified, even if some one believes in any theory of retribution.  

  Since, we cannot cover all points in brief write-ups, there would be inaccuracies and moreso our texts do not carry our facial or body gesture with them. Words are inadequate, and cannot substitute realisation. 

Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com> wrote:
  Hi Uttam,

You make some very valid points and its a well-thought out response, and I
understand where you are coming from.

I am not aware of what exactly took place between Ripun Bora and Dr.
Choudhury - all I know is that he resigned. So, I really cannot comment much
on that.

>Ram Da, you eulogised the wisdom and the action of the INDIAN STATE based
on a single >unverified report on SHG.

I hope it wasn't anything to that extreme, but I sure did want to point out
that Dilli does do some good here & there. I perfectly understand Dilli's
failings. From here, I have no way to verify reports - all we have is media
reports online.
And notwithstanding what C'da says, it is ultimately 'us' that make the
decision whether such reports have some validity or not.
And you are right, many of us in far off lands do get euphoric with any
morsel of good news from the home front

I wanted to bring up Ripun Bora's case because I did see a different
treatment to his case. Many were quick to condemn him, and I thought that *even
you* may not have given him the benefit of doubt. I am glad, that I was
wrong, and you really were not thinking along those lines, and I apologize.

Today the papers carry 'irrefutable proof' and have for all practical
purposes convicted him.
The CM has thrown him under the bus (which is as expected), and I expect
Bora will more than likely be convicted - all I was expecting a court of law
saying so.

In this respect, I agree with C'da. In India (as C'da has pointed out with
examples), the idea of due process is often lost, specially when we utterly
dislike an individual.

--Ram da

On 6/3/08, uttam borthakur wrote:
>
> Ram Da
>
> I was not indicting Ripun Bora at all.. If you re-read, you shall see that
> my sole emphasis was about his comments on Dr. Amarjyoti Choudhury. Some
> people kowtowed his line in holding Dr. Choudhury responsible for chickening
> out. In fact, I did not like this kind of diatribe, because it is Dr.
> Choudhury's liberty of taking a decision that was under fire. And my
> aversion towards Ripun Bora kind of politicians is not borne out of this
> news item, but personal experiences over so many years. Ram Da, you
> eulogised the wisdom and the action of the INDIAN STATE based on a single
> unverified report on SHG. We have seen that there are some SHGs that are
> good and sincere and have taken up where the INDIAN STATE has abdicated its
> earlier responsibilities; but most are rotten and are after a fast buck.
> One thing in that news item struck me: mention of Rs.10, 00, 000/- as the
> profit for the year. It is pretty difficult in Assam unless the extent of
> the land is substantial. Now getting
> possession of substantial land by a group of persons having a history of
> retail trade of terror and then changing sides is something that is smelly.
> Many people have returned rich from the ranks and some have used their
> history to intimidate unarmed people to grab land and other resources. That
> was my concern and that was what I told you. The only known history of the
> person concerned is that he has deserted the ranks of a fighting outfit and
> is capable of intimidation. Ripun Bora, in contrast, has a wellknown history
> and we can come to some highly probabilistic conclusion ( none can judge
> himself for sure till death) about Sri Bora, cannot we? Ram Da, it is my
> request that a question or a comment should take colour from the context and
> should not be dealt with torn from such context.
>
> Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> Hi C'da,
>
> >*** 'Any more'? Come now Ram, WHEN was it reliable ?
>
> Well, let me put it this way, we often consider it reliable when we chose
> to
> do so. We have all seen (on this net) many of us have over the years sent
> links from the news media from Assam as well as the rest of India whenever
> it seems to echo their own views.
>
> >*** I think the bigger urge is the need to feel good about India
> >doing good by Assam and thus the attempt at groping at every straw
> >that floats by :-).
>
> Could be, could be. But I suspect it is a far milder one than that
> vitriolic
> urge to bash India at every opportunity :)
>
> Look at this Ripun Bora case. Many of us, are more than willing to bury the
> montri because of the arrest. Are we jumping to conclusions?
>
> Even Uttam, who so wisely cautioned me 'not to get euphoric or depressed'
> at
> the drop of a hat, has, I suspect, already convicted Ripun (before the
> trial). :).
>
> After reading some of the news reports (I am hoping that these are
> reliable), and I am sure now that many have deemed them reliable, that must
> be the case....
>
> One guy was arrested at Guwahati, taken back to Delhi, and claims he as
> bribing on behalf of Ripun Bora. And so they arrested the montri?
> I am surprised that a claim by a 3rd person can bring down a montri.
>
> This morning I called some of my own 'reliable sources' at Guwahati. They
> ALL felt that this was a setup and the CBI thing stinks to high heaven, and
> that Bora has many political foes (even within the Congress), and lastly
> that he has been doing good as an Education minister.
> (not my opinions - I know very little of the ground situation).
>
> Maybe it is all true, and maybe it isn't - but I would like to wait and see
> how all this ends up, but more importantly, I would like to be fair and
> give
> the minister a chance to defend himself.
>
> But this much I am fairly sure of - almost all politicians thrive on bribes
> and corruption, and it is only a question of degrees.
>
> --Ram
>
>
>
>
> On 6/3/08, Chan Mahanta wrote:
> >
> > > >It is quite difficult to decipher from here what is
> > >"behind" any news item anymore.
> >
> >
> > *** 'Any more'? Come now Ram, WHEN was it reliable ?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > *** I think the bigger urge is the need to feel good about India
> > doing good by Assam and thus the attempt at groping at every straw
> > that floats by :-).
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > At 11:08 PM -0500 6/2/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> > >Hi Uttam,
> > >
> > >You are correct. It is quite difficult to decipher from here what is
> > >"behind" any news item anymore.
> > >But, we take them as they come and there aren't too many ways to
> > cross-check
> > >news items.
> > >
> > >--Ram da
> > >
> > >On 6/2/08, uttam borthakur wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Ram Da
> > >>
> > >> Will it not be prudent to get all the facts together before getting
> > >> euphoric? You know as well as all of us do that 'SHG' is not a magic
> > wand.
> > >> The land acquired by the SHG( the process), the initial funds raised
> by
> > >> them( the process) may not be accessible to a poor farmer in Assam
> > without a
> > >> history like the person in question and his cohorts have. So let us
> not
> > >> repeat the bane of being euphoric or depressed too fast. These days
> > news
> > >> reports are also not very innocuous.
> > >>
> > >> Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> > >> Now, here is some great, positive news!
> > >>
> > >> And for those of us who see everything is wrong with Dilli, the
> > >> Swarnjayanti
> > >> Gram Swarozgar Yojana initiated by Dilli is doing wonders.
> > >> Highlights mine.
> > >>
> > >> --Ram
> > >> ____________
> > >>
> > >> Self-help groups in Assam transform rural economy (Feature)
> > >> June 1st, 2008 - 12:59 pm ICT by admin -
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> By Syed Zarir Hussain
> > >> Nagaon (Assam), June 1 (IANS) Karuna Kalita was once an explosives
> > expert
> > >> with the terror group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). But he
> > got
> > >> fed
> > >> up with life in the jungles and surrendered in 2003. He opted for a
> new
> > >> life
> > >> by forming a self-help group (SHG). The 36-year-old former rebel, who
> > is a
> > >> father of two, is today into mechanised farming, growing paddy in an
> > acre
> > >> of
> > >> land, besides cultivating cabbage, mustard, and bhut jolokia - the
> > hottest
> > >> chilli on earth - at his native Dhing village in the central Assam
> > district
> > >> of Nagaon.
> > >>
> > >> "I have 12 other members in my SHG and we are working hard. Last year
> > we
> > >> earned about Rs.1 million," Kalita said before he jumped into his
> > tractor
> > >> and set off for work.
> > >>
> > >> >From former separatists to housewives to educated but unemployed
> > youths,
> > >> thousands of people in the northeastern state of Assam are pushing
> > >> micro-enterprises into profitable business ventures, thereby turning
> > around
> > >> the region's rural economy.
> > >>
> > >> There are more than 90,000 SHGs working in diverse fields in rural
> > Assam -
> > >> the whopping number being an indicator of the success of the central
> > >> government-aided venture in working towards development and boosting
> > the
> > >> rural economy.
> > >>
> > >> "Earlier, earning Rs.3,000 per month was unthinkable. But now after
> > setting
> > >> up an SHG, I and my seven friends are not only earning but also
> > encouraging
> > >> others like us to do something and earn a living," said Nandeswar
> > Dihingia,
> > >> a college dropout in Dhing.
> > >>
> > >> *The concept of SHGs got a major impetus after New Delhi launched the
> > >> Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) - a programme aimed at
> > bringing
> > >> families above the poverty line by ensuring a sustainable level of
> > >> **income*
> > >> * over a period of time.*
> > >>
> > >> "The SHG scheme has led to a silent economic revolution sweeping
> > through
> > >> rural Assam. This is a good sign as people are getting involved in
> > self-
> > >> enterprise,"
> > >> Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.
> > >>
> > >> *Under the programme, SHGs can avail themselves of assistance in the
> > form
> > >> of
> > >> **bank loans*
> > >> *, supported by back-ended government subsidy - a group can avail
> > itself of
> > >> a government subsidy up to Rs.125,000.*
> > >>
> > >> >From dairy to mechanised farming, weavin, poultry, food processing
> > >> unitsand
> > >> mushroom cultivation, people in Assam's countryside are busy setting
> > > > up
> > >> micro-enterprises by forming SHGs.
> > >>
> > >> "We are now self-reliant and able to speak with our heads high," said
> > >> Rupanjali Gharphulia. Rupanjali along with a dozen-odd housewives had
> > >> opened
> > >> a poultry farm with bank loans and is today making a substantial
> > profit.
> > >>
> > >> *The self-help group movement has indirectly come to perform the role
> > of
> > >> peacemaker in a state where militancy is a problem*.
> > >>
> > >> *"One can only hope this movement indirectly helps solve the region's
> > >> growing unemployment problem, which in turn could tame insurgency in
> > the
> > >> state," Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Chandan Brahma
> > >> said.*
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> assam mailing list
> > >> assam at assamnet.org
> > >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Uttam Kumar Borthakur
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ---------------------------------
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> > >>
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> >
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>
>
> Uttam Kumar Borthakur
>
>
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Uttam Kumar Borthakur

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