[Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

Fri Jun 13 20:34:44 PDT 2008

Akakhot sang pota,the English equivalent of which will be : To build castle
in the air.

Alaxor laru means: something very dear.

I could be in error.

KJD ( INGRAJIR BIXAROD )

On 6/13/08, Alpana B. Sarangapani <absarangapani at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> I think Mukul-da is right.
>
> It is 'aakaaxot saang pota' (meaning 'xunyot'), not 'aalaaxot'.
>
> And you are right, Aalaax is used for 'Alaaxor Laaru', meaning
> 'oti-moromor' - very precious, apple of the eye, need I go on? :)
>
>
>
>
>
> "In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and
> humble like a blade of grass."
>
>
>
> > Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:34:53 -0500> To: dilipdeka at yahoo.com;
> cmahanta at charter.net> From: cmahanta at charter.net> CC: assam at assamnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.> > 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> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>
> >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.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >> >>
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