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International | China there is no question about that. He even drew reference to Kashmir, as how this part of the nation can’t be compromised as Tibet as part of China. What interest does bind Yechuri to Tibet becoming part of China, if not for Communist running the government there as well? One question I would ask Mr Yechuri here if he dares to reply. What happens if India adopts similar measures to counter a movement and protest within? What happens, if Tiananment Square incident is replicated in India? What about such a measure to bulldoze the growing menace of Maoist movements in India? Its better not to tread those lines, which may jeopardize a democratic set up like that of India. So, Mr Yechuir’s indirect allegiance to Chinese style of functioning goes against the fundamentals of Indian constitution. After the military take-over of Tibet in 1950, all the areas once ethnically connected with Tibet became for Beijing part of the Chinese empire. Let us not forget that Mao used the image of the palm of the hand (represents Tibet) and the five fingers representing Bhutan, Sikkim, NEFA, Ladakh and Nepal. So, after successful merger of Tibet in all terms with it, China would definitely make some move to expand further and the first pie for it to have is Arunachal Pradesh. So it is still “a dispute land” for them and not part of India. And about Bhutan and Nepal, it’s only a matter of time. China would not require much time to flatten those kingdoms and hence India is bound to suffer if China becomes secured in Tibet. It’s in India’s interest to keep China engaged in Tibet then spreading beyond its territory. Historically, this region has been the most restive for more than a century when Britain and Russia engaged in a strategic warfare for occupation over Asia. It was later hijacked by America and became its main attraction in South East Asia. 40

April 08

State | Assam

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So India has finally become an economic giant sans emotions, human rights, National interest and everything it stood for before we decided to surrender Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause also in the process our precious boundaries which China claims (the Communist Party in India have conceded in the Parliament that Arunachal Pradesh is a disputed territory and not an integral part of the country). Yes, it hurts when our Prime Minister visits China and the first news flash which comes in the television channels is that Naresh Goyal’s Jet airways can get landing rights in Beijing and Azim Premji will invest 40 million dollars in Shanghai, but not the Arunachal border dispute or China’s claim over vast areas of Ladakh and Leh and their disregard to Mac Mohan line. Have our commercial interest taken over our National integrity – sadly it looks like we can justify anything for a positive GDP growth. In the northeast it is known that long before ISI got involved in terrorist activities, China played a key role in supporting almost every guerrilla and insurgency movements, by not only ideologically backing them but also providing them training and arms. The double standard of the Communists in India is even more shameful. While on one hand they send emissaries to Nepal to negotiate the Maoist problem, on the other they speak about non interference about nations ruled by the Communists backed regime such as Burma and of course China. The Dalai Lama was called a liar by the Chinese Government and we have kept silent on that as well. Can you imagine if they had called Shankaracharya or an Islamic Cleric a liar? Worse still if a Pope was called so. India needs to realize that we need the Dalai Lama and support the Tibetan cause because this is our best bet when we sit and negotiate with the Dragons of China. Yes Mr. Karat, please object if you have to when Naresh Goyal gets a huge jet Airways deal not when Dalai Lama speaks the truth about the sufferings of the people there in Tibet or am I asking too much by saying that you go against your masters. Pradyot Manikya Deb Burman

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Love the peak experience in Assam

Dhruva Saikia Thank God no ultra-patriot nihilist thus far has appeared in Assam to obstruct Valentine’s Day merriment in this otherwise traditional and customabiding province in India. Bihu is the festival of love in Assam, the Spring festival, the time for boys and girls to spring out their hearts under an open sky. Love is not a stigma in Assamese society; nonetheless a few senior citizens muse why we need a Valentine’s Day when we have our own Bihu! Well, love and war overlooks rule; we need Bihu, we need Holi, we need Valentine’s Day yet it definitely is not the full stop to the love festivity – the greatest universal driving force for human kind. The world loves a lover is Shakespeare’s lucid conclusion; in the same breath I dare add I love my heroic friends Rupam, Rintu and

Parimal, the flamboyant lovers turned now to responsible husbands of Kala, Asha and Majoni. I am indeed grateful to each of them for their long lasting association with me thus enabling me look and see what love is. Millions of words, hours of music and miles of film have been inspired by the enigma of love, says Jane Lyle in her enlightening book Body Language. Jane Lyle is a celebrated writer on psychology, sex and sociology. But when I set out to put down my acquaintance with lovers of my time, the lovers of flesh and blood, the lovers with no glamourous tag but just another man in the street, I realize that love for them was never an enigma but a peak experience. I hope to come to peak experience later, let us follow the love path of the three unlegendary, rather unknown lovers first.

Rupam and I used to attend the same school and his teenage centred on juvenile naughtiness. But to the utter dismay of most of his male colleagues, Rupam turned out to be the heartthrob among female students. He was and still is handsome, tall and attractive. No, we did not study in a coed school but quite naturally used to exchange glances with the girls coming to nearby schools. No hello, no hi, but an eloquent look at the girls’ face. Boys and girls in the 70s were real strangers to one another, but a scooter for a school or college student in Assam in the 1970s was like a Mercedes for anyone today. Rupam possessed a scooter, and he screeched it one day near Kala, his dream girl who was walking along a footpath and declared his love for her. Kala was amused, but she had no qualms in reciprocating the April 08

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