[Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

Fri Jun 13 19:34:53 PDT 2008

At 7:28 PM -0700 6/13/08, Dilip and Dil Deka wrote:
>O'Mahanta,
>Same meaning - Imaginary Right?  As in Imaginary  Laaru.

**** I am guessing here now, but I think 'alaaxor laaru' does not 
mean an imaginary dessert. I believe it means 'something absurdly 
held to be 'aapurugiya', of great value.

Can our Oxomiya-major friends tell us exactly what an 'alaaxor laaru is'?

>Hey, we didn't do too badly. Despite all conjectures :-), we do 
>remember class X Assamese.

*** We may be geezers, but we do remember a thing or two still :-).

>Hey, we didn't do too badly. Despite all conjectures :-), we do 
>remember class X Assamese.
>O'Deka
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
>To: Dilip and Dil Deka <dilipdeka at yahoo.com>; Chandan Mahanta 
><cmahanta at charter.net>
>Cc: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the 
>world <assam at assamnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 9:22:43 PM
>Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.
>
>O'Deka:
>
>The other common usage of 'alaax'  is in 'alaaxor laaru'
>
>O'm
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>
>At 7:00 PM -0700 6/13/08, Dilip and Dil Deka wrote:
>
>>O'Mahanta,
>>
>>You are correct.
>>
>>'Alaaxot Sang Pota' is what I remember from usage. In fact it was a 
>>standard question in Assamese literature class (interpretation of 
>>'Phokora-zozona') and I remember answering that Alaax must have 
>>meant something intangible and imaginary, when a sang (bridge or 
>>shelf) needs some tangible support.
>>
>>O'Deka
>>
>>===================================================================================================
>>
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----
>>From: Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
>>To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the 
>>world <assam at assamnet.org>
>>Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 7:50:29 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.
>>
>>>.You  meant akaaxot
>>
>>
>>No, not really. I meant 'alaaxot'. 'alaaxot ssang-pota'  is an
>>authentic Oxomiya phrase :-).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>At 6:01 AM +0530 6/14/08, mc mahant wrote:
>>><'Expectation is the mother of all disappointments'.( maybe also 
>>>Unhappiness)
>>>And <'alaaxot  saang-pota kotha'> ( daydreaming).You  meant akaaxot
>>>mm> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:01:32 -0500> To: 
>>><mailto:assam at assamnet.org>assam at assamnet.org>
>>>From: <mailto:cmahanta at charter.net>cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: 
>>>Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the
>>>Editor.> > > I am also curious about the PREMISE of KJD's
>>>letter:> > > The Asomiya language in the USA has already been put to
>>>sleep by > >the Asomiyas themselves> > > *** First off, how can a
>>>language die in a particular locale, when it > did not even LIVE
>>>there?> > When did the Oxomiya language take root in US shores? It
>>>is a > preposterous proposition. Surely a minuscule number of
>>>immigrants > spread out over a continent three times the land mass
>>>of India, > speaking the language at home or friends with infrequent
>>>contact > could not possibly establish a language that could be even
>>>remotely > considered a living one.> > > *** KJD make some good
>>>points, like the amusing spectacle of > conducting a debate about
>>>the health of Oxomiya language in the USA > in English, or
>>>conducting an entire Oxomiya bor-xobaah in English. > But then again
>>>it only reaffirms the logistical challenges of > communicating in a
>>>language that has NOT even taken hold. A sizable > segment of the
>>>next generation of Oxomiya immigrants would not > understand what is
>>>going on, if conducted entirely in Oxomiya.> > One can therefore
>>>beat up on the parents who failed to teach their > progeny their
>>>ancestral language. But that is NOT going to change > anything,
>>>other than perhaps give some dubious satisfaction of > venting
>>>personal dislikes or assertion of self-righteousness.> > *** But I
>>>would not despair. There will always be those who are > interested
>>>and have the ability to learn the language of their > forebears. And
>>  >they will keep the Oxomiya language in the USA, in > formaldehyde
>>>like a specimen in a museum, caught in a time-warp, > speaking a
>>>language that has been long forsaken by the Oxomiyas > themselves as
>>>they march on the highway of evolution. It has no > chance of being
>>>anything else. To expect otherwise will be 'alaaxot > saang-pota
>>>kotha' ( daydreaming).> > > *** Finally, KJD's disappointments in
>>>this matter is a result of > unrealistic expectations. As the sixth
>>>principle of happiness in the > MSBSP Book of Wisdoms says
>>>'Expectation is the mother of all > disappointments'.> > > Your
>>>What-Me-Worry Kharkhowa Compatriot,> > cm> > > > > > > > > > > > At
>>>12:48 AM -0500 6/13/08, Rajen & Ajanta Barua wrote:> > Dear KJD> >
>>>Thanks for the intellectual and timely article on Oxomiya
>>>Bhaxa > >(Assamese Language) published in the Sentinel. This is an
>>>important > >and sensitive subject and you have touched some truths.
>>>However I > >find that overall, the article has given a rather one
>>
>>  >sided and > >distorted view of the Assamese in America, and people
>>>in Assam might > >get the impression that we Assamese in America
>>>donot speak Assamese > >at all. It is basically to correct this
>>>view, that I have decided to > >comment on your article.> >> > First
>>>I am glad that you are addressing the 'Assamese language
>>>in > >America' and not 'Assamese language in Assam'. These are
>>>two > >separate issues. Writing about the 'demise of Assamese
>>>language in > >America', you are hitting on the bull's eye and on a
>>>real problem. > >The same is however not true for the Assamese
>>>language in general as > >many of us like to imagine. The Assamese
>>>language in general will > >flow as long as the river luit will
>>>flow.> >> > As you have pointed out like many other languages, the
>>>'Assamese > >language in America' will eventually die out. If any
>>>one does the > >numerical analysis, this is inevitable, and frankly
>>>speaking there > >is no point in being emotional or critical about
>>>it. The Tie Ahoms > >lost their mother tongue in Assam the same way.
>>>The issue of > >inevitability is however not reflected your article.
>>>Rather you are > >showing as if it is a news for all of us and
>>>especially to the > >Assamese people back home.> >> > That being
>>>said, let us not bring death to the 'Assamese language > >in
>>>America' prematurely. The fact is the Assamese language
>>>in > >America is not dead yet. You wrote "....most of the
>>>Asomiyas, > >belonging to the in-between generation, if not all, do
>>>not speak > >their mother tongue at all." I am sure most Assamese in
>>>America > >would not agree with you. In fact, we still have most
>>>Assamese > >converse in Assamese when we meet together in Assamese
>>>parties and > >we have many Assamese children who speak fluent
>>>Assamese. Not only > >that, we have writers and poets in the country
>>>who writes in > >Assamese. Thus your statement, "The Asomiya
>>>language in the USA has > >already been put to sleep by the Asomiyas
>>>themselves," is a bit > >exaggeration, highly controversial and
>>>frankly speaking not true.> >> > Leaving aside the above
>>>exaggeration, let us see the reasons cited > >by you for the
>>>eventual demise of the Assamese language in America. > >You wrote,
>>>"It is too facile of an argument, often made by the > >expatriate
>>>Asomiyas, that teaching children their native language > >interferes
>>>with the English language development." Frankly speaking, > >I find
>>>this absolutely a wrong assumption. I donot think there are > >any
>>>such unfortunate and ignorant Assamese in America (or
>>>elsewhere) > >who sincerely believe the above outdated theory and
>>>that is why they > >donot teach Assamese to their children. The
>>>actual reason why the > >parents donot teach Assamese to their
>>>children is plain and simple. > >We are too laid back, hobo diok and
>>>lazy. At the same time, there > >are many parents, like us, who
>>>speak to their children in Assamese. > >Now formal teaching of
>>>Assamese is a different matter altogether > >which must have to be a
>>>community effort. As communities we are > >small everywhere and
>>>where we can, frankly speaking we are lazy and > >take our usual
>>  >'hoobo diok' attitude. It is not because we Assamese > >donot have
>>>pride in our culture and language, as we have said. On > >the other
>>>hand, I think we (the NRI Assamese) have too much pride in > >the
>>>Assamese language and culture. That is why we celebrate
>>>Bihu > >almost everywhere in the globe now a days. That is why we
>>>meet > >annually in two places at the same fourth of July every
>>>years in > >America.> >> > Coming to your concluding remark on
>>>teaching Assamese, "One would > >fall off the chair to learn that
>>>the entire affair is conducted in > >English! I am at a loss to
>>>understand as to how on earth one can > >pass one's culture and
>>>heritage on to their progeny by merely > >holding Bihu function once
>>>in a year without impressing upon their > >children the importance
>>>of learning their own language which is the > >essence of any
>>>culture." On this I am with you. I agree that it > >seems a bit
>>>hypocritical for the Assamese in Houston to debate in > >English
>>
>>  >during the Bihu about the 'demise of the Assamese language > >in
>>>Assam'. I think it is not only hypocritical bu rather wastage
>>>of > >time. I would have rather spent the time teaching Assamese to
>>>our > >children, which in fact I had suggested strongly. > >> >
>>>Overall I think your article will play very well in Assam
>>>where > >people are ready to judge the NRIs on wrong assumptions
>>>like we the > >NRIs like to judge Assam often time on wrong
>>>assumptions. I hope we > >are learning.> >> > Incidentally some of
>>>us are trying to come up with a scheme to > >teach basic Assamese to
>>>the children. Please watch out for some good > >news.> >> > BTW I
>>>will send a verson of this writing to Sentinel so that > >people in
>>>Assam will not hold to the wrong impression that we donot > >speak
>>>in Assamese at all. etc> >> > Thanks> > Rajen
>>>Kokaideu> >> >> >> >> >> >> > ----- Original Message -----> > From:
>>>kamal deka> > To: Rajen & Ajanta Barua> > Sent: Sunday, June 08,
>>>2008 9:04 AM> > Subject: Letter to the
>>>Editor.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >
>>>The Demise of Asomiya Language in America> > Half of the world's
>>>6,000 languages, > >as estimated by the United Nations, will go the
>>>way of the dinosaurs > >in less than a century. In fact one falls
>>>out of use about every two > >weeks. Usually, the life of a language
>>>comes to an end when the > >speakers of the language stop speaking
>>>it for any reason. The > >Asomiya language in the USA has already
>>>been put to sleep by the > >Asomiyas themselves, which is the
>>>product of parental failure to > >inculcate a sense of pride in our
>>>ancient culture and language. > >After all, diet and dialect are
>>>perhaps the emblems of any society. > >The abdication of the Asomiya
>>>parents makes it easy for the Asomiya > >children here in America to
>>>follow the path of least resistance by > >imitating their American
>>>peers. The result : most of the Asomiyas, > >belonging to the
>>>in-between generation, if not all, do not speak > >their mother
>>>tongue at all.> > It is too facile of an argument, > >often made by
>>>the expatriate Asomiyas, that teaching children their > >native
>>>language interferes with the English language development.
>>>It > >would, therefore, be better to focus on English than teach
>>>a > >language that is going to be of limited use in this country.
>>>This > >line of reasoning, in my opinion, does not seem to have two
>>>legs to > >stand for a few simple reasons.> > First, research
>>>consistently points > >to the cognitive and academic advantages of
>>>being bilingual, no > >matter what the second language is. But the
>>>Asomiya parents are not > >dissuaded by multilingual pre-schoolers
>>>reading earlier and faster > >than their monolingual counterparts.
>>>The young child's alloplastic > >mind is fertile ground for a
>>>multitude of ideas. Far from stunting > >mastery in English,
>>>learning another language enhances a child's > >ability to learn
>>>English by expanding linguistic structure and > >syntax.
>>>Furthermore, most children passively acquire English
>>>through > >ubiquitous interactions with teachers and fellow
>>  >schoolmates at > >school, television and on the street. Conversely,
>>>they imbibe their > >native language only at home.> > Secondly, when
>>>Americans themselves > >have begun to realize that this land is not
>>>a melting pot but rather > >a rich mosaic, it is ironic that many of
>>>us still cling to the > >archaic philosophy of Romans in Rome.
>>>Thankfully, the Asomiyas here > >in America do not live in such a
>>>rigid world where they have to > >choose between extremes.> >
>>>Thirdly, there is another powerful > >benefit that is relevant to
>>>our children growing up here and that is > >in helping them a strong
>>>sense of identity which can help lead to > >better self-esteem and
>>>self-confidence.> > The Asomiya diaspora of the USA > >insists and
>>>claims that the foremost reason of celebrating Bihu is > >to
>>>transmit - and preserve - our culture to the next generation.
>>>One > >would fall off the chair to learn that the entire affair
>>>is > >conducted in English! I am at a loss to understand as to how
>>
>>  >on > >earth one can pass one's culture and heritage on to their
>>>progeny by > >merely holding Bihu function once in a year without
>>>impressing upon > >their children the importance of learning their
>>>own language which > >is the essence of any culture.> > Kamaljit
>>>Deka,> > Sugarland, Texas.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >> >
>>>The information contained in this e-mail is intended only > >for the
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