A copy of my letter to prashant
Hi Prashanta,
Thanks for the reply. Actually the rest of the country is unaware of the plight of the bengali (hindus particularly, and I have no ill will towards muslims). The rest of the country becomes aware sometimes, when they hear about some communal riot in Assam like the one presently going on in goalpara/ meghalaya border, or when anti-bihari violence happened. But what has been happening to us as a community, the country does not know. The AASU agitation has only highlighted the fact that there are so many bangladeshis.
But hiddent behind the activism is the communal face of assamese community. In Assam it is almost impossible for a Bengali to get a fair chance in jobs in Railways or Banking sector. So also in IOC/ OIL or ONGC. In post office also the chances have dwindled. But the true percentage of bengali in Assam is like 38% of the total population. But what is our representation in the assam cabinet?
Secondly people think (almost everywhere in this area) that a bengali speaking person from the north-east is invariably a bangladeshi. That is the effect of sustained campaign by AASU. The ground below our feet (in Assam ) is very shaky. We dont know what shape the demands by AASU will take. They are asking for 100 % job reservation for assamese. Already our community dont get any job any more. Last time (in March 2002) there was an advertisement by Brahmaputra Valley fertilizer for the position of management trainee. Two of my relatives, both bengali speaking born in assam, applied for the post. One secured 7th position and the other secured 13th position after written test.
Then all of a sudden, one day a small notice was put up on the notice board, to the effect that, the written test conducted on the earlier occassion, stands cancelled. No explanation was given. Then all of a sudden some local guys from nearby were appointed on those vacancies. Then it was announced among the existing staff that these boys have been hired by delhi and sent here.
But on close scrutiny this falsehood fell thru. None of these guys have seen delhi. So basically, I believe that the entire excercise was done under the pressure and influence of AASU. Actually my elder brother works there. I wont mention his name. He has been working there for last 25 years. He did a complete enquiry.
Rest is left for you to draw your own conclusion.
But I have some darkar thing to say. Can a community become successful by continually denying rights of others? Has it ever happened in history that cheats and liars have succeded by depriving honest people? In assam at least now it is happening like that. Hitler tried. But histroy tells us whatever happened to him.
Secondly the communal nature of these people are becoming more and more self evident. They have been depriving us, but have they gained happiness? No. They are killing one another in the name of community. Earlier we used to know there is one Assamese community. Now within assamese there are so many communities. And they are constantly agitating for their petty communal interestest. Like moran motok, sonowal kochari, everyone wants autonomy, and nobody wants to live in peace with the other community. They want reservation for their community only.
I hope that in the end they also see what i am saying today. A society that is not based on justice and equality will eventually parish, no matter how much we love it. And for us, for our community, I have this much to say, it is time to think beyond assam. Either we make our mark, protest everything that is being done to us, we demand equality in jobs, or else we leave assam for ever. so many young people are leaving assam for studies. in every college of Bangalore, Pune and Delhi (I have checked personally), there are so many young people from NE, mostly assam.
These boys and girls will never go back to assam. They will find a better life in outside their state. But those who stay back in assam, what waits for them? Daily one bandh? Facing discrimination? Deprivation from basic rights? And chance that one day all will be called Bangladeshi by the AASU or someone like that?
I stay in bangalore, and whenever someone asks me why I dont go back to my native place, I say I dont like any place which is primarily communal.
I say, even if one day Assam becomes prosperous, we should not expect our fortunes to change. Although rightlfully we should have expected that.
But in reality, our fortunes are being defined by other communities. Take for example, in bangalore we are atrong community. We celebrated 35 durga pujas. But all in scattered areas. But hopefully thing will get better here also. We shall have one community feeling here. But that is a matter of the far future.
I think I have written enough for one day.
Thanks
Santu Ghosh
Thanks for the reply. Actually the rest of the country is unaware of the plight of the bengali (hindus particularly, and I have no ill will towards muslims). The rest of the country becomes aware sometimes, when they hear about some communal riot in Assam like the one presently going on in goalpara/ meghalaya border, or when anti-bihari violence happened. But what has been happening to us as a community, the country does not know. The AASU agitation has only highlighted the fact that there are so many bangladeshis.
But hiddent behind the activism is the communal face of assamese community. In Assam it is almost impossible for a Bengali to get a fair chance in jobs in Railways or Banking sector. So also in IOC/ OIL or ONGC. In post office also the chances have dwindled. But the true percentage of bengali in Assam is like 38% of the total population. But what is our representation in the assam cabinet?
Secondly people think (almost everywhere in this area) that a bengali speaking person from the north-east is invariably a bangladeshi. That is the effect of sustained campaign by AASU. The ground below our feet (in Assam ) is very shaky. We dont know what shape the demands by AASU will take. They are asking for 100 % job reservation for assamese. Already our community dont get any job any more. Last time (in March 2002) there was an advertisement by Brahmaputra Valley fertilizer for the position of management trainee. Two of my relatives, both bengali speaking born in assam, applied for the post. One secured 7th position and the other secured 13th position after written test.
Then all of a sudden, one day a small notice was put up on the notice board, to the effect that, the written test conducted on the earlier occassion, stands cancelled. No explanation was given. Then all of a sudden some local guys from nearby were appointed on those vacancies. Then it was announced among the existing staff that these boys have been hired by delhi and sent here.
But on close scrutiny this falsehood fell thru. None of these guys have seen delhi. So basically, I believe that the entire excercise was done under the pressure and influence of AASU. Actually my elder brother works there. I wont mention his name. He has been working there for last 25 years. He did a complete enquiry.
Rest is left for you to draw your own conclusion.
But I have some darkar thing to say. Can a community become successful by continually denying rights of others? Has it ever happened in history that cheats and liars have succeded by depriving honest people? In assam at least now it is happening like that. Hitler tried. But histroy tells us whatever happened to him.
Secondly the communal nature of these people are becoming more and more self evident. They have been depriving us, but have they gained happiness? No. They are killing one another in the name of community. Earlier we used to know there is one Assamese community. Now within assamese there are so many communities. And they are constantly agitating for their petty communal interestest. Like moran motok, sonowal kochari, everyone wants autonomy, and nobody wants to live in peace with the other community. They want reservation for their community only.
I hope that in the end they also see what i am saying today. A society that is not based on justice and equality will eventually parish, no matter how much we love it. And for us, for our community, I have this much to say, it is time to think beyond assam. Either we make our mark, protest everything that is being done to us, we demand equality in jobs, or else we leave assam for ever. so many young people are leaving assam for studies. in every college of Bangalore, Pune and Delhi (I have checked personally), there are so many young people from NE, mostly assam.
These boys and girls will never go back to assam. They will find a better life in outside their state. But those who stay back in assam, what waits for them? Daily one bandh? Facing discrimination? Deprivation from basic rights? And chance that one day all will be called Bangladeshi by the AASU or someone like that?
I stay in bangalore, and whenever someone asks me why I dont go back to my native place, I say I dont like any place which is primarily communal.
I say, even if one day Assam becomes prosperous, we should not expect our fortunes to change. Although rightlfully we should have expected that.
But in reality, our fortunes are being defined by other communities. Take for example, in bangalore we are atrong community. We celebrated 35 durga pujas. But all in scattered areas. But hopefully thing will get better here also. We shall have one community feeling here. But that is a matter of the far future.
I think I have written enough for one day.
Thanks
Santu Ghosh
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