r/india • u/Reddictor • May 11 '13
[Weekly] Let's talk about: Assam. Please upvote for visibility!
This week's discussion is about Assam, which happens to share an extensive border and history with last week's state, Arunachal Pradesh.
Basic Information:
| State | Assam |
| Website | http://assamgovt.nic.in/ |
| Population | 31,169,272 |
| Chief Minister | Tarun Gogoi (INC) |
| Capital | Dispur |
| GDP per capita | ₹ 37,250 |
| Sex Ratio (F:M) | 954:1000 |
Previous threads:
| States | Link |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | http://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/1dgtj2/let_us_begin_with_andhra_pradesh_as_uthat_70s/ |
| Arunachal Pradesh | http://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/1dnrrx/lets_talk_arunachal_pradesh_please_upvote_for/ |
Also, /u/that_70s_show_fan has unfortunately deleted his account, so if any of you are interested in creating this weekly thread on a regular basis, do let me know.
Edit: /u/fuck_cricket has generously volunteered his time. Next week is Bihar! Any Bihari redditors interested in answering questions, please let /u/fuck_cricket know.
15
May 11 '13
Can someone talk on the influx of Bangladeshis?
26
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Bangladeshis are becoming a majority in my state. Not only they hurt the local economic prospects they also alter the vote bank scenario. Few years ago a party called AIUDF was launched by a Muslim perfume baron. He plays Bangladeshi card to get votes. Today his party is the largest opposition party in Assam.Way before the AGP(the principal regional party) and BJP. His party always poses hurdles to the process of detecting and deporting foreigners. :(
14
u/talkaboom May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
What troubled me most in the aftermath of the riots( which were, as all riots are, horrific. I can never condone loss of life) was that the central media gave them the colour of religion and not that of the root problem. Debates were held about which religious community is to blame, none took place about the illegal immigrations. The apathy of central government and media are the major reasons this issue is persisting.
Over the decades, the vote bank that congress built has returned to bit them in the ass. Worse, it is a severe threat to national security.
5
u/aapsu May 12 '13
Indeed, fucking media. It was shocking to see "Muslims vs Assamese" in the TOI. When it was clearly a case of illegal immigrants and people protecting their lands.
0
May 11 '13
What is being done to pre-empt that threat ? If one party is posing hurdles, why not all Assamese unitedly vote for a anti-migration party like AGP and then ask them to proceed ?
I am not aware of the political climate in Assam...can you shed light on it ?
2
u/kaiserkunal May 12 '13
To put simply,we are not united.Everybody is busy establishing their own identity. Plus there is no good alternative. The regional party AGP is a farce,BJP is only limited to Bengali districts.
6
May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
There was a brilliant article by Arun Nehru on this. He was the only person who opposed this illegal migration when Indira Gandhi was the PM.
Edit: Link to the earlier post http://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/y9cqc/stateless_remedy_to_illegal_immigrant_problem_in/
EditEdit: Strangely Deccan Chronicle has deleted the aforementioned article from it's site.
5
u/chamaar May 11 '13
Lord Wavell in The Viceroy’s Journal wrote that in the name of “Grow More Food”, Sadaulla was “growing more Muslims”. The 1946 Cabinet plan placed Assam and Bengal in Group C. Had this been accepted, Assam would be part of Bangladesh today. During a visit to Guwahati in 1946, Jinnah confidently declared that he had Assam in his pocket.
2
8
u/lolguard May 11 '13
Back in year 1994, I was en-route to Jammu from Guwahati. I boarded Lohit Express at around 10 AM from Guwahati. Train commenced its journey at around 11:50AM. Reached Rangiya at 4:30 PM. At Rangiya the orders were passed and train was sent back to Guwahati. We reached Guwahati by 5PM. Same train started next day around 10:30 AM. This train was 65 hours late when it reached Jammu.
The thing I hated the most while crossing Assam was that they never allowed any trains in Assam after 4 PM. ULFA and BODOLAND issues were hitting headlines almost every day.
The cities I have spent some days named Missamari, Rangiya, Guwahati and Tezpur were infested by Mosquitoes and humidity. Finding good restaurants wasn't easy. It was one hell of a place back then. I heard things have improved a bit now.
2
6
May 11 '13
Assamese woman ?
I found the women I met fiercely independent. Very beautiful too.
2
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Independent?Maybe.Beautiful?Fuck yes!
Btw, Nomoskar Daddy ji! ;)
1
May 11 '13
Nomoskar :)
2
May 11 '13
am confused, was it a girl or boy? nevertheless, you found your son, congrats!
2
May 11 '13
am confused, was it a girl or boy?
lol, that was my first thought too. Then I understood that kaiserkunal is actually a girl with a boyish name to ward of unnecessary attention.
:P
12
u/ranjan_zehereela May 11 '13
saars saars saars my questions:
-
How the fuck Assamese people have managed to produce such a prod warrior lyk Arnab Goswami
-
How to differentiate between an Assami and Bengali(appearance & name wise etc etc)
-
How much Bhupen Hazarika is respected in Assam
-
Why the fuck Assamese are hated in Arunachal Pradesh? Is it the same trend in other NE states
8
u/unhappyhippie May 11 '13
Not answering your questions but pointing out that the correct term to use is either Assamese, or Akhomiya/Asomiya. "Assami" is a tad bit disrespectful and afairc it means "prosecuted person" (mulzim).
3
u/dexbg May 11 '13
Okay.. though I always figured it was Asaamese in English and Assami in Hindi.. Based on the usage I've heard.
1
u/aapsu May 12 '13
People do refer to the Assamese as Assami; like Afghani, Kabuli, Farsi, Irani etc. It is an unfortunately coincidence that asami and Assami sound the same.
14
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Saar to be honest most people used to think Ornob to be a Bengali.Only after a local newspaper did an article on him they got to know he was a khati oxomia kulcha warrior.
2)Appearances wise it's difficult to differntiate between an Asami and Bong. Most of Bongs can be identified with their accent though. Caste Assamese and Bongs have similar last names except for the few ones like Banerjee,Chaterjee etc
3)Bhupen is an idol in Assam.The only singer from Assam who has got national recognition. When he died people went crazy like the Venezuelans did after the death of Chavez.
4)Not sure that though.lolguard ji se pucho.
3
u/talkaboom May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
Why the fuck Assamese are hated in Arunachal Pradesh? Is it the same trend in other NE states
Street smart Assamese/Bengali traders settled in other states, over the years, have taken advantage of ethnic tribal populations' credulity/gullibility. From my personal experiences, tribals ( real tribals, not people living in cities in other states) are slow to trust outsiders, and lends more to this outlook.
I have some really good tribal friends. Never had to face this problem with them.
2
u/dexbg May 11 '13
Along with Bhupen Hazarika .. who is very much a idol
Zubeen Garg is pretty popular.
Also originating from Assam is Papon.
Music is a pretty big part of the culture there.
2
u/talkaboom May 11 '13
To me, it is surprising how people forget to mention Jayanta Hazarika when making such lists.
That guy was producing music with awesome western influences long before disco fever found India. Some of the compositions seem like its being played by the Shadows/The Ventures. Also, his voice was pure magic.
1
u/dexbg May 11 '13
Thanks for sharing ..
4
u/talkaboom May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
Here you go. Some vids that will demonstrate his unique fusion. If you dont understand the language, I am sure you can still appreciate the music.
Probably the most famous drunk introspection song in Assam
I could not find a vid for "Mu Mon Chatokor" which I feel is the best example of western fusion from the 60s. The drum solo in it was unheard of in Indian music at the time.
edit: I checked your history. You obviously speak the language. Anyway, good shares, I think. xD
1
May 11 '13
I don't like Bhupen da's voice. But Jayanta da. Oh God! I go to sleep sometimes listening to his song Mor Minati on endless loop. I will say this, if Jayanta Hazarika had been alive, we wouldn't have made such a big fuss about Bhupen da.
2
u/Abhi_714 May 11 '13
What happened to that Debojit guy from Assam who won Sa re ga ma pa Challenge 2005?
0
1
u/dexbg May 11 '13
Along with Bhupen Hazarika .. who is very much a idol
Zubeen Garg is pretty popular.
Also originating from Assam is Papon.
Music is a pretty big part of the culture there.
1
u/aapsu May 12 '13 edited May 12 '13
Assamese are not hated in Arunachal. lolguard was talking about his personal experiences. Please clear that misconception.
Edit: state
4
u/verytroo May 11 '13
Were the rumors true about Bhupen Hazarika and Lata Mangeshkar?
Please share some good food recipe.
3
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Bhupen Hazarika was a known playboy.I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. ;-)
Assamese cuisine uses a special ingredient called 'khar' which is basically burnt banana tree stem for the flavours. So I don't think you'll get outside Assam. Try Assamese restaurants instead. 'Maas tenga' is favorite for most Assamese people.
4
u/phdinprogress May 11 '13
Here are a few (some might be weird, excuse me! :P )
1.) What's the realtionship with West Bengal like? Isn't there a sizeable Bengali population in Assam/
2.) This applies to the all the N.E states, do you feel a common bond with other Northeasterners? Are there any issues between states like those between say T.N and Karnataka/Kerala?
3.) Do you feel N.E would do well as a separate nation?
Thank you!
8
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
1)Relationship with Bongs from WB is there but not as dramatic like the Srilankan Tamils and Indian Tamils. Hell some Bongs in WB will not even consider Slyhetis as Bengalis.
2)I would say there is no special proximity with other NE'rs. We are very much different than the rest.
3)N.E will turn into Somalia if it ever becomes independent.
2
u/talkaboom May 11 '13
There are a few border disputes between some states. If you remember there was a blockade last year.
Similar issues exist with Nagaland, esp regarding Nagalim and with Meghalaya.
4
u/aapsu May 12 '13
Arunachali here. What are the earliest accounts of the Assamese and Arunachalis interacting?
1
8
May 11 '13
Also, u/that_70s_show_fan has unfortunately deleted his account, so if any of you are interested in creating this weekly thread on a regular basis, do let me know.
Another mod asked me the same question. I replied in the affirmative and started a thread. Deleted it when I found this posted.
5
5
u/Envia May 11 '13
Sorry I just saw your response. Thank you for agreeing to do this. Look forward to your posts from next week. Whenever you put up a new post just send the link to us on modmail.
11
2
u/brownboy13 May 11 '13
Sorry about that. There's been some confusion. If you're still interested, next week onwards, it's yours to take over.
3
3
u/obnoxidian May 11 '13
This is likely a question to the NE in general - thought I'd ask it here anyways.
What is the general sentiment in Assam about being 'part of the Republic'? Do folks feel a distance/detachment from the mainstream*/rest of the country - culturally, politically or otherwise?
(If so, has this sense been increasing/diminishing over time? And what has been contributing to the change over this same duration?)
* - I realize 'mainstream' is a very subjective notion. Would be interesting to hear a native's take on this nonetheless. Thanks.
12
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Assam is more attached to "mainland india" than the rest of the NE states. It's probably because we look almost like mainland Indians. :P
There was a sense of detachment during ULFA movement but it has diminished.We are developing slowly and steadily,people don't care about trivial issues that anymore.
11
u/talkaboom May 11 '13
People definitely consider themselves Indians. Looks don't really matter. There is a general hatred towards illegal bangladeshi immigrants. Sadly a lot of people cannot distinguish between illegal ones and people who migrated during the partition, almost all of whom consider themselves Indian.
Here is something possibly unrelated. When I first came to Delhi, I was surprised by the amount of Muslim guys who would support Pakistan during an Indo-Pak Cricket match. Most of these were well educated folk who had lived their entire lives in India. Never seen this happen in Assam. You support the Indian Team regardless of faith.
Again. Not trying to start a religious debate here. Just stating an observation.
1
u/dexbg May 11 '13
Given the migration of NE to various parts of the country there is a strong connection to the 'mainland'. The guys in NE take their patriotism seriously as it is tested everyday my militants, Chinese and piss-poor support from the Center.
We only look in to Assam for Military matters it seems but we should be investing a lot more to build infrastructure there.
3
u/the_unfettered May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
I want to know that is assamese easy to learn or very hard ?
3
u/talkaboom May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
Depends. A lot of eastern languages sound similar. There are a lot of words that are almost a direct rewrite of the hindi/sanskrit equivalent. The idea is to get used to the pronunciation.
The "ch" like in chair sound does not exist in the language. It is substituted by the "s" sound. Which is why you may hear assamese people say "Sai" instead of "Chai".
The regular "s" is changed to what we often write as an "x". It is an aspirated sound that is not found in any other major Indian language.
Personally, I feel Assamese sounds more like Oriya than Bengali. Some may disagree.
Growing up, we had a neighbor from Andhra Pradesh. The child, who was my age could speak Assamese fluently, with no accent. The parents spoke it fluently too, with a slight accent though. They did live there for over 20 years, but had picked up the language within a few years.
5
May 11 '13
we had a neighbor from Andhra Pradesh.
Telugu speakers pick up any language very comfortably. Especially more so if they are young. You will not be able to discern any accent.
Sad thing is they forget Telugu. I have a couple of friends who grew up in Assam. Their Telugu is a complete laugh riot.
1
May 11 '13
Applies to any kid. my cousin who grew outside of Punjab speak very funny Punjabi.
3
u/gcs8 May 11 '13
The younger Marathis in Mumbai speak funny Marathi. Their Hindi is good and English even better!
1
u/Prz87 May 11 '13
The Language structure and some words are same as in Bengali. though it can sound slightly different at times.
0
u/dexbg May 11 '13
If you haven't heard it before .. People talking in Assamese sound like they are arguing .. but thats the general tone compared to Hindi I guess.
1
u/Prz87 May 11 '13
I beg to disagree, I think the upper Assam's Ahomiya is very pleasing to the ears.
2
u/talkaboom May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
Its the words containing the "NG" sound that make it sound rough. Source: My North Indian sister in law. She has picked up the language quite well considering we live in Delhi, and both me and my brother are very fast talkers.
1
5
May 11 '13
Has Tarun Gogoi been a good chief minister?
8
4
u/talkaboom May 11 '13
While corruption is pretty rampant as elsewhere in the country, the CM does seem more approachable than most others in the country.
Given the huge limitation of resources, he has done a fine job in the last few years. His speeches are often filled with wild rhetoric like any other politician, but often makes very good points. His understanding of central policies and its effects on the state seems quite exhaustive.
Some people would disagree with these points I made. Personally, I haven't been living in Assam for 10 years now. Most of my information does come second hand.
Some off-beat things I like about him - He has a thing for dancing, often going up on stage to join a dance group during functions. I am not sure how he manages to stay seated during parades. He mostly behaves like a child, jumping in his seat, clapping excitedly etc during these. Also, I have never seen him not smiling.
2
May 11 '13
My friend's father had business in Assam, he is Sikh, are there considerable number of Punjabi in Assam?
Is sacrificing animals still a regular scene in Kamakhya Devi?
2
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Yeah.Punjabi Sikhs are there but not in considerable number.
Sacrifice happens all the time.Usually it''s pigeon.For special occasions goat and buffaloes are used.
1
u/talkaboom May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
Jorhat actually has a large Sikh population. Still cannot be compared to say Delhi. They have been living here for several generations. While many still speak punjabi at home, a lot of them actually speak assamese, eat local food and are like regular assamese folk.
Kamakhya does see a fair share of animal sacrifices. But it is not expected from every visitor. Personally, I have never set foot inside that temple. I go a little further up to a rock near the hilltop from which you can catch a spectacular glimpse of Guwahati, the Brahmaputra, and since the last few years, the IIT campus.
I am sorry the pics are poor quality. It was an old digital camera and pretty bad haze that day.
1
u/aapsu May 12 '13 edited May 12 '13
I heard Marwaris control the majority of big businesses in Assam. Is it true?
1
2
May 11 '13
Never heard of Assamese cuisine. Any notable dishes?
1
u/talkaboom May 11 '13
Lack of heavy use of spices means a lot of non-assamese find it slightly unpalatable.
The 2 major dishes pointed out will be
Khar. It is made from banana tree stem/papayas/lentils etc. It acts as a digestive aid and is a common "Sabji" on the assamese plate.
Masor Tenga. A sour fish curry that is completely different from fish prepared elsewhere in the country.
This Video will give you a good indication of the kind of food we eat. Not to be generalized though. Assamese are known for their love of chilli( personally I can't handle it), and a lot of dishes are far more hot than they may seem.
1
u/tripshed May 11 '13
Isn't mono popular there?
2
u/talkaboom May 12 '13 edited May 12 '13
I assume you meant Momos. Yes, they are quite popular as a fast food. Though they are not really an Assamese dish. It is very rarely prepared in Assamese homes. Most( like me or anyone in my family) don't know how to make it. Also, the steamers used are not a part of an average Assamese kitchen.
Side note: If you ever order momos in Assam, by default you will be given pork momos. If you need any other variety, specify it! Fried momos are quite rarely eaten. Many of the momo joints will not even have it on the menu. The soup along with the momos is optional. Some give it as a complimentary item, some have it as a separate item on the menu, some don't give it at all.
1
u/tripshed May 12 '13
I guess they must be native to Bhutan. All food places in Bhutan make those. And Assam is not far away.
2
u/chengiz May 11 '13
Is Chutiya really pronounced Sutiya or is that revisionist? There was a time when it was Chutiya kingdom and over the years all links etc are slowly changing to Sutiya. It's a serious question.
3
u/talkaboom May 12 '13
I mentioned in another replay that the "ch" as in chair sound does not exist in Assamese. It is replaced by the "s" sound, stands for the same corresponding alphabets. Hence it is pronounced "Sutiya". The problem with converting Indian words to English is actual phonetics are rarely used. Recently some people managed to figure out that phonetics are more important than random cross language alphabet co-relation. Hence a lot of words are being updated. This might be more true for words like "Sutiya", given its meaning in Hindi is not exactly a complement.
Other examples is the increasing use of "X" to denote the Assamese "Sh" sound equivalent. Earlier, people used to use "H" to denote the sound.
2
u/VideoLinkBot May 12 '13
Here is a list of video links collected from comments that redditors have made in response to this submission:
2
May 11 '13
Most newspaper columnists deny the threat of immigrant population. Infact they say that their numbers are wildly exaggerated. What is the local opinion on this? If an Assamese muslim could also reply?
→ More replies (3)6
u/dexbg May 11 '13
The threat is there just by the sheer numbers .. its said that everytime there is a flood in Bangladesh the half the country migrates to Assam .. when the waters recede they go back.
The border is pretty porous.
→ More replies (1)
0
May 11 '13
9
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13 edited May 11 '13
You need khar for Assamese cuisine. So it's better you have it in a restaurant.
2)We are lazy as fuck.There is even a saying for it.I forgot it though.
3)Alcoholism is problem in rural areas.Can't tell about women though.
4)Dispur is basically a place inside Guwahati. Like say for example Canaught Place in Delhi. I think Guwahati is a little better than Nagpur.
5)Movies are crap.Music scene is big in Guwahti. Western music,Bollywood,Ethnic songs are big.
6)That we don't live in jungles. :P Almost everybody asks me if Assam is a jungle or not. Also Dispur is like a suburb inside Guwahati. There is no separate Dispur-Guwahati city.
7)In Guwahati it can be hot as fuck and it's really humid. Even Chennai feels better than Guwahati on a hot day. Rest of Assam is considerably cooler.
8)Jyotiprasad Agarwalla.Originally from Rajasthan but dil se full Assamese. His cinemas are popular in the literary circles.
9)It's considerably safer in Guwahati. Girls can move around in the city with "western clothes" without much problem.
10)There is no dowry system.But grooms receive furniture and stuff from the brides family. Money is not expected.
11)Kaziranga is a place ought to be visited. Great golf courses and elephant safaris!
12)I don't drink tea so..:P
14)Marwaris are there.Not many Gujrati I guess.Never met any.
→ More replies (8)2
0
May 11 '13
3
2
u/talkaboom May 11 '13
Only required for Arunachal Pradesh. Assam is free of restrictions. Does not mean you can waltz into Chabua Air Force Base, but you get the idea.
0
May 11 '13
→ More replies (1)2
u/aapsu May 12 '13
They really need to stop this bandh culture, an inconvenience for the rest of the NE. Our state Arunachal has also started to catch the fever.
→ More replies (1)
9
u/kaiserkunal May 11 '13
Ask away people. <--- Native guy here. (Plis naat to reply on this comment.Post a separate comment.)