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| Headlines Vol. 1 Issue 30-31 | Dec 22-Jan 6 , 1999 |
Unwanted in Assam, unemployed elsewhere Sandeep Banerjee Every human being wnats to live peacefully, creating a home for himself. It usually so happens that people come to a place and settle there. They live there for generations, get emotionally attached to it, contribute to its development and prosperity. And then, one fine morning, they find that they have become outsiders in the same place.Badal Saha was a demonstrator in the Intermediate College in the Kokrajhar district of Assam. He is the third generation in his family to be born and brought up in Assam. Restrictions on normal movement and demand of money by the militants became too much for him to bear. He fled from Assam to Barobisha, the bordering township in West Bengal. But having his wife and a small child with him, he doesn't know how he will be able to manage without a job and any means to earn. He is also heavy at heart, having to sever off connections with Assam where he had spent all his life until his sad flight. Vidhan is a young man in his late thirties. He was born and brought up in Kochugaon under the Kokrajhar district. He was managing his ancestral timber trade business there and was doing quite well for himself. After the death of his father, he was the one who had to carry the responsibility of the family. But then the unrest came and his timber trade perished. Moreover, being outspoken and fearless, Vidhan was targetted by the militants. A huge amount was demanded from him by the militants. His family fled to Bengal to live with their relatives. But Vidhan decided to stay back in Assam. One day he was badly roughed up and beaten by the so called revolutionaries. Unable to defend himself and fight for his rights any longer, Vidhan too bid adieu to his birth place. He is now a broken man. Unemployed, he aimlessly moves about in the Bengal side. In fact, places like Kochugaon and Ramphalbhil boasted of a good Bengali population. But now except for a few, all have left the place. Pradeep Shah was a very popular figure in Gosaingaon sub-division. He was the owner of a transport company that ran in Bengal and Assam under the banner of B. N. Travels. He had few fruit shops in the Gosaugaon market. His name was on the hit list of of the terrorist groups. One day he was threaten and being unable to pay Rs. four lakh in cash as demanded by the militants, he left his birth place living behind his family and business. Till now no one knows where he is now. Apart from the Bengalis, the rich merchants, businessmen and shopowners of other community have also become an easy prey. The lower Assam region has seen almost a complete exodous of the marwaris settled there. They were running their business well until the huge demands by the militants dislodged them. E ven in the proper township of Kokrajhar, these flights of despair have become common. Recently, a Nepali wine shopowner, settled there since his birth, deserted his shop and home and went back to Nepal. Examples like these can go on and on. However, its no use of shedding tears on the plight of these people. The question is "can't this exodus be stemmed"? They aren't even accepted openly where they are fleeing to. Even the Bengalis moving from Assam over to the Bengal side are facing problems. Apart from the demographic problem, there is speculation in the minds of thelocals in Bengal that this mass exodus may well cause the extention of insurgency to the Bengal side due to its close proximity with Assam.With the increase in tribal militancy on the other side, many Assamese have also landed up in Bengal and created almost a community for themselves to live in the bordering areas of Bengal. They hope to run their business in Assam based from this place. However, this is creating a lot of tension, panic and misapprehensions on the Bengal side as this accommodation may well cost the peace that Bengal enjoys. The time has come to mend things and douse the conflaguration, otherwise it may spread and engulf the lives of many.There is still hope as the waters of the Brahmaputra is not so shallow that it can't accmmodate, nourish and carry along different soils |
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