(The riots, arsonry and clashes continue in Assam for a week, in three districts, between the Bodos and Muslim immigrants mainly from Bangladesh. Different theories are floating around about the nature of attacks; let us see some of the recent events combined with facts, which throws some more light on the present issue.)
From the past three days, I have closely followed the news on the attacks in Assam searching for the latest events, statements by political parties and other information sources to understand the present scenario. Today morning when I have typed, "Clashes in Assam 2008" in Google, and 'felt lucky', I was surprisingly led to a page of Turkish times, which covers the event. May be, I am not lucky enough to get the Hindu's or Indian express' articles directly. The Kandhamal violence was 'lucky' to make it to the main page continuously in the Hindu for the past few days, and so is with most of the other news papers. While, violence in Assam isnt probably 'fortunate' enough to make a BIG event. Our media continues to ignore the north east, and for the Cabinet, its just one more ministry, which is generally used as a 'transit'. Mr.Shourie has written an article long ago, on how media sacrifices news from North-east, for more trivial news and gossip.
The present clashes have continued from past one week, has about 50 people killed and many villages burnt; about a lakh people made refugees. The curfew stands in the 3 districts with shoot-at-sight orders issued to the para-military troops and BSF forces. The 180 Refugee camps are been flooded with the people. About 200 houses being burnt over recently, and many such events.
As for the state government, "everything is under control". Health Minister Sarma said the root cause of the trouble was a programme of "ethnic cleansing" implemented by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB),which is a largely Christian outfit and a rebel group fighting for an independent tribal homeland, and claims that it is a 'systematic pogrom'. The chief minister Mr.Tarun Gogoi said, "We are investigating reports of the involvement of the NDFB in the clashes and, if proved, we shall be forced to call off the ceasefire". Probably, his role even ends with a few statements and orders for few committees and investigations; or rather he is bored to see the same over and again. Let us all wonder together on how the situation is 'completely under control' with over 50 deaths and a lakh of refugees. May be Orissa and Karnataka should never even be brought to news compared to this. If they all are ignited by NDFB without any other group's involvement or any other intention, we must also be astonished to see many of this majority tribe being a big chunk of people who bore the brunt; many victims from Bodos. Interestingly, a newspaper from Pakisthan (the news) already begins to portray it as yet another ‘anti-muslim’ attack.
And from the Centre's (Congress (I)'s) point of view, their stance was made very much clear as a crystal by Ms. Sheila Dikshit a few months back. "It has been in our tradition to welcome all those who arrive in our country," Dikshit said. It doesn’t require intelligence to deduce that UPA would only welcome Bangladeshi intruders (I cannot call them refugees as long as they cause the damage), and even provide them citizenship and if possible reservations also in the due course.
The insouciance of the opposition is something noteworthy. Any opposition must realize that it is their responsibility to bring the issue to the public, and also to pressurize the Govt. to act faster and firmly.
What would be intriguing is the involvement of the settlers from the Bangladesh. We have witnessed a constant ethnic cleansing of the minorities there (do I need to mention it is Hindus?). This minority which was about 31% of population in 1947, has dropped to 22% by 1951, and then to 10.5% by 1991 and now by 2001 census it is about 9%. The opinion of some of the ‘secular’ economists, who say that “the politics of Bengal (Bangladesh) is the economy of the Bengal”, I am afraid, doesn’t resonate well with these census. The ‘loss’ in the Hindu population is not redistributed among the other minorities like Christians, since the Christians stand only 1% of the population. I hope our readers would agree with me that I need not be some ‘Hindu fanatic’ to raise voice against such statistics.
From the past three days, I have closely followed the news on the attacks in Assam searching for the latest events, statements by political parties and other information sources to understand the present scenario. Today morning when I have typed, "Clashes in Assam 2008" in Google, and 'felt lucky', I was surprisingly led to a page of Turkish times, which covers the event. May be, I am not lucky enough to get the Hindu's or Indian express' articles directly. The Kandhamal violence was 'lucky' to make it to the main page continuously in the Hindu for the past few days, and so is with most of the other news papers. While, violence in Assam isnt probably 'fortunate' enough to make a BIG event. Our media continues to ignore the north east, and for the Cabinet, its just one more ministry, which is generally used as a 'transit'. Mr.Shourie has written an article long ago, on how media sacrifices news from North-east, for more trivial news and gossip.
The present clashes have continued from past one week, has about 50 people killed and many villages burnt; about a lakh people made refugees. The curfew stands in the 3 districts with shoot-at-sight orders issued to the para-military troops and BSF forces. The 180 Refugee camps are been flooded with the people. About 200 houses being burnt over recently, and many such events.
As for the state government, "everything is under control". Health Minister Sarma said the root cause of the trouble was a programme of "ethnic cleansing" implemented by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB),which is a largely Christian outfit and a rebel group fighting for an independent tribal homeland, and claims that it is a 'systematic pogrom'. The chief minister Mr.Tarun Gogoi said, "We are investigating reports of the involvement of the NDFB in the clashes and, if proved, we shall be forced to call off the ceasefire". Probably, his role even ends with a few statements and orders for few committees and investigations; or rather he is bored to see the same over and again. Let us all wonder together on how the situation is 'completely under control' with over 50 deaths and a lakh of refugees. May be Orissa and Karnataka should never even be brought to news compared to this. If they all are ignited by NDFB without any other group's involvement or any other intention, we must also be astonished to see many of this majority tribe being a big chunk of people who bore the brunt; many victims from Bodos. Interestingly, a newspaper from Pakisthan (the news) already begins to portray it as yet another ‘anti-muslim’ attack.
And from the Centre's (Congress (I)'s) point of view, their stance was made very much clear as a crystal by Ms. Sheila Dikshit a few months back. "It has been in our tradition to welcome all those who arrive in our country," Dikshit said. It doesn’t require intelligence to deduce that UPA would only welcome Bangladeshi intruders (I cannot call them refugees as long as they cause the damage), and even provide them citizenship and if possible reservations also in the due course.
The insouciance of the opposition is something noteworthy. Any opposition must realize that it is their responsibility to bring the issue to the public, and also to pressurize the Govt. to act faster and firmly.
What would be intriguing is the involvement of the settlers from the Bangladesh. We have witnessed a constant ethnic cleansing of the minorities there (do I need to mention it is Hindus?). This minority which was about 31% of population in 1947, has dropped to 22% by 1951, and then to 10.5% by 1991 and now by 2001 census it is about 9%. The opinion of some of the ‘secular’ economists, who say that “the politics of Bengal (Bangladesh) is the economy of the Bengal”, I am afraid, doesn’t resonate well with these census. The ‘loss’ in the Hindu population is not redistributed among the other minorities like Christians, since the Christians stand only 1% of the population. I hope our readers would agree with me that I need not be some ‘Hindu fanatic’ to raise voice against such statistics.
The bottom-line is that, if it is an ethnic cleansing by systematic attacks, by NDFB or by the Bangladeshi immigrants, we are in serious trouble.
PS: By ‘we’, I meant India.
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3 comments:
Media of our country hardly puts forth truth before its readers.
Same is the case with the J&K roits, when our media was busy covering olympics@gold medal after a long time.; the english news has published news tht the J&K freedom has reaced the closest to freedom than ever before.
Meaningless to read biased news...
J & k freedom???
@ Aditya:
Was it a comment, question or doubt? :D
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