[Assam] Oppose the idea of compulsory teaching of Assamese in all schools

[Chan Mahanta]

M,

Those incentives can come in many forms. Not the least of which is 
the need to foster social goodwill that we all need to live in a 
diverse society in harmony and amity. Those of us who have had the 
experience of living as a part of the majority as well as a minority, 
ought to know it well.

That kind of goodwill has enormous  value., even though it might not 
be tangible or easily valuated.

Years ago I met a gentleman--a real gentleman, from Bengal, who lived 
and taught in a southern Indian university most of his adult life. 
Having conversed with him for some time, and having been impressed by 
his progressive and learned attitudes, I observed that he must know 
the local language well.  I was surprised to all heck when he just 
smiled and shook his head. He said he never even tried!

I was almost left speechless.

*** The Indian effort to Hindify the neighbors of Assam was a classic 
colonial tactic to divide and rule. It actually has succeeded.  And 
caste-Assamese - language chauvinism never helped a bit.


so-ko








At 10:17 PM +0530 2/6/09, Manoj Das wrote:
>Dear so-kokaideo,
>
>A Manipuri friend of mine- "bikram singh" <thocks5 at gmail.com> went to Tawang
>few years back. Near Sela Pass he found two villages communicating in
>Arunachali (An adopted from of Assamese in Arunachal). They knew no other
>common language. Imposition of Hindi has largely failed. On returning he
>reminded me how at one point of time Assamese was the lingua franca of the
>current NER starting from Coch Behar to Manipur and from Tawang to
>Chittagong.
>
>He retrospected me that we should have created situation for various
>verisons to grow simultaneously; instead we the true blooded Kharkhowas
>tried to codify and impose  chaste Assamese in all schools, including the
>areas inhabited by heavy tongued tribal brothers . Assam was fragmented
>because of the language issue. Even now we refuse to learn. The local
>dialects are constantly under threat of being wiped out by the onslaught of
>Assamese. This hegemony of Assamese has forced the tribals brothers to seek
>protection in withdrawal from mainstream Assamese culture.
>
>A habitat of co-existence has to be worked out. Incentives such as
>so-kokaideo is mentioning needs to be invented. Otherwise the shrunken
>borders of Oxom will untimately resemble a blackhole.
>
>-Manoj
>
>On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 9:26 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>>
>>  O' Bikaax,
>>
>>  Buisa--jwr kori kakw bhaxa xikaabo nowara. Pise'  obhipraayor sristi
>>  koriboloi udogoni dile' xohojei kaamtwr xomadhaan hoy. Xeitw  eta
>>  xorbojoneen xotyo.
>>
>>  ( You know, you cannot force anyone to learn a language? But if you create
>>  an incentive, it always works. It is an universal truth).
>>
>>  We do learn some of these languages, because it helps advance our ability
>>  to communicate with people that leads to knowledge and advancement of
>>  careers.   But if you have no such incentive, then it is highly unlikely
>>  that anyone would go for it. IF a Bengali ethinc of Assam can get by quite
>>  well without having to learn any Assamese, why would she take the trouble
>>  to?  Similarly if an Assamese has just as good a chance, or even better, to
>>  advance his career by learning English instead of Assamese, why would she
>>  take the trouble to?
>>
>>  So, the need is to create those incentives. Coercion will never work, it
>>  will merely harden the opposition and deepen a feeling of oppression and
>>  alienation.
>>
>>  That simple.
>>
>>  Best wishes.
>>
>>  Iti twmar,
>>
>>  so-kai
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  At 8:04 PM +0530 2/6/09, DR BIKASH KUMAR DAS wrote:
>>
>>>  What about asking WEST  BENGAL Govt to introduce compulsory Assamese
>>>  instad of bengali and Assam Govt Bengali?? This will help all khai paat
>>>  fala.
>>>  Dhik Dhimoti!!
>>>
>>>  Bikash
>>>
>>>  --- On Fri, 6/2/09, mc mahant <mikemahant at hotmail.com> wrote:This
>>>  Suggester of Forcing ASSAMESE language-- should suggest  INSTEAD to Govt.
>  >> of free Assam  to  pronounce:[Schools and colleges offering  a full course
>>>  of
>>>  Non-mother-tongue language to proficiency level will be granted big
>>>  privileges.
>>>  Russian ,Madarin,Myanmarese,Thai, Pushtu,Farsi,Serbo-Croat,Portugese,
>>>  CubanSpanish,Tagalog,Bahasa , Indonesia,Karbi,Bodo,Garo,Khasi,--- will get
>>>  increased support.] mm
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo! India Messenger
>>>  at http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/?wm=n/
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>>
>>
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