The legacy of Assam’s culture would be a lot less enriching if we overlook the contribution of the legendary Shri Jyotiprashad Agarwalla. Similarly there are many other non Assamese in Assam who are more Assamese than many Assamese themselves.Assam is not by the Assamese alone but it is a conglomeration of various communities, tribes, sects etc. It’s a melting pot of many cultures.. Assam’s present status its economy would not be what it is without the contribution of the entire society irrespective of what language they speak and which community they belong to. Therefore the recent spate of killings of non Assamese people comes as a shock to every Assamese and saddens him immensely. Assam has always embraced everyone with open arms and absorbed various cultures in its folds. Hence the targeting of a particular community by militant groups has forced people to hang their head in shame. Assam is a land of tolerance and laid back elegance where the people are known for their hospitality and straight forward demeanor. The repeated attacks on Bihari laborers or the non Assamese community is an ugly scar that is to taint Assam’s reputation for years to come.At the same time the people should be prepared that the Assamese too may be targeted in a similar fashion in other parts of the country as repercussion if such a trend continues. Assam is very much a part of India as any other state hence before being anybody else we are Indians first and an Assamese, or Bengali, or Bihari later as is the case in all parts of the nation. We seem to have forgotten the broader sense of the term Assamese, for anybody that has made Assam his or her home is an Assamese just as anyone that stays in Delhi is a Delhiite and so on. The non Assamese community in Assam has made tremendous contribution to the state’s economy as most of the trade and commerce is controlled by them. Be it in the field of food grain, textile, cement etc. They have also paved the way for many youths to establish their own employment avenues. The recent repeated blasts in the fancy bazaar area targeting the non Assamese business community is a conspiracy to segregate them from the community and creating suspicion and terror in their minds by people with vested interests. This is a time for the people to unite and deter these forces from unsettling our peaceful settlement and create cracks in it.If we go back into the pages of History then we would realize that originally many Assamese trace their lineage to the ancient Aryans who had infiltrated India way before the Mughals befriended us. Therefore originally our ancestors came from parts of Central Asia, which proves that we are not Assamese either!Non Assamese people of Assam are an intrinsic part of our social fabric. As most of the daily wage laborers, rickshaw pullers, washer men, etc are non Assamese. Therefore the senseless killing, bombings of innocent people cannot be the solution of any problem but a ceasefire and amicable talks can be.
If magh bihu comes can community fishing be far behind? From early in the morning people in several places across the state are landing in community fishing a few hours before the feasting festival. Armed with the various traditional weapons, people, mostly, living near the rivers and water bodies are engaged in fishing.“It is our tradition of fishing on Uruka day. I have a good catch of fish half an hour after I landed in this water body. I need no longer to stay here,” Jiten Barman told Assam Times in Nalbari who joined the fishing early in the morning.Tridip Das a local resident of Jalukbari area is equally happy after he caught a fish during the community fishing in deepor beel, a well...
Braving a biting chill, the entire state is soaked in Magh bihu festivity on Wednesday. Every household is busy with the last minute preparations a day before the much vaunted festival of feast.Today is uruka, the day of feast festival. Shops and markets are teeming with people for last minute shopping for the evening feast. Fish, meat and vegetables are flooding in the markets from early in the morning. Apart from feast a series of cultural programmes are lined up on the occasion.After the whole night celebration, the bihu would take place on Thursday morning by liting up the wooden made meji to offer puja to the god of fire. Governor PB Acharya, chief minister Tarun Gogoi along with many...
Only a day is left for Magh Bihu, the much vaunted festival of feast and merriment. But soaring prices seem to have embittered the real taste of the festival. Shops and markets are teeming with the people for bihu shopping. But a sudden price hike makes it difficult for the common to buy the commodities in the shops and markets.“Beaten rice is available in the markets. But the price stands at Rs 60 per kg. We the common people can hardly afford cream. Price of curd, pulse, coconut and molasses are also going up,” said Ananta Saikia in Ganeshguri.Jina Devi, a housewife in Beltola told Assam Times that a tight purse has not allowed them to buy more commodities in the market. She said, “We...
The North East Research and Social Work Networking (NERSWN), an NGO of Kokrajhar base observes its 10th foundation day with two day long progrmme from Monday at Gwjwn Dera NERSWN Complex, Chnandrapara in Kokrajhar. Deputy Commissioner Themeswar Malakar inaugurated the Children’ Mela where the different types of Science Exhibition, Magic Show, Sports, Literarily and cultural by the student children displayed. Children from different schools of lower Assam participated and displayed their talent in the field of science, arts, Technologies etc.A Seminar on “Civil Society Space in Promoting peace and Reconciliation in Zone of Conflict” was also organized the seminar was...
Senior bureacrate Himanshu Sekhar Das took oath as chief commissioner of RTI on Monday. Governor JB Patnaik administered Das the oath of office and secrecy at a brief fuction at the Raj Bhawan in the morning. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was also present in the function.
The Assam Government will confer Sukapha award to noted lawyer KN Saikia on Tuesday. The former Supreme Court judge will receive the award from chief minister Tarun Gogoi at a function at Rabindra Bhawan in the afternoon.
A total of 702 tribal families were given away land pattas, covering 300 bighas of forest land under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 under Chirang Forest Division at a function held at Dhunabari Lower Primary school in Chirang Tuesday. BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary handed over the papers in the presence of BTC Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyary, Deputy Commissioner, Chirang, Virendra Singh Mittal, DFO, Chirang, Subash Chandra Brahma and Project Director Deba Kumar Kalita. BTC Speaker Paniram Brahma and former Transport Minister, Government of Assam, Chandan Brahma were also present in the meeting.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh put in his papers before the President on Saturday. Dr Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, rushed to president Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 12.30 in the afternoon where he tendered his resignation letters. Mukherjee accepted his letter and requested Dr Singh to continue the office till the next candidate takes over as the prime minister. Dr Singh, a professor and economist and former RBI governor was inducted in the Narasimha Rao cabinet as finance minister in 1991. In 1992, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. Later in 20 04, when the party regained power he was sworn in as prime minister. He continued the office when...
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that he would quit taking moral responsibility of his party's dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls. Talking to Assamtimes at his Koinadhara residence on Friday, a visibly Gogoi said that he would send his letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her consent. Same this was what APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita said after his party was trailing behind BJP in 8 seats.
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