An Insight into Arunachal Pradesh

I look at the date on my watch. It is June 18, 2008. A familiar face flashes on the TV screen as soon as I put the TV on. It is Mr. Lal Krishna Advani again. His renewed call for RAM MANDIR in Ayodhya is the headline today. I am reminded of the fateful day of December 6, 1992… On the 5th December, 1992, when so-called RATH YATRA entered Ayodhya, it had caught attention worldwide. Whole world was gripped with fear and filled with awe to witness what was happening- one of the worst incidents of the free India. And Heaven was not unaffected. Here is a delayed report from Heaven:

Ever since his war with Ravana there had never been such a large gathering of devotees in his name. Then it was largely monkey, now it was man. Lord Rama could understand how devoted they were! For apart from reading Ramayana and worshipping him as God, they maintained the record of the very spot of his birth which he had forgotten himself. So, today he was literally overjoyed to watch such a large crowd of devotees with bows and arrows, hammers and spears in Ayodhya.

Many influential gods in Heaven showed deep concern over the fear and horror of damaging the MASJID. But he did not heed them. “Don’t you worry,” he told the worried Sita. “They are my followers. Such an untoward incident will never happen. They cannot take the path of violence for I have taught them the great lessons of non-violence, forbearance and universal love.

In the meantime, although he did not preach his face and the Muslims do not worship his idol, it was expected of Mohammed the prophet to be worried and immensely disturbed at this moment. But he was calm as usual. “There’s nothing to go panic,” He told his friends. “It is a testing time for Muslim brethren. I’m sure they will prove that they are no fanatics. Even if the MASJID is brought down to dust, there will be no bloodshed for they will not retalliate. Instead they will keep cool and win the hearts of Hindu brethren with their overflowing love and a greater MASJID will be rebuilt in its very place, incase it is demolished.

Yet the God, who is the most powerful of gods and men, knew what was going to happen. He was fed up of all these nonsensical happenings in the name of religions. The religions were founded so that it shows the path of truth and righteousness to the mankind, so that the man live in peace and love one another. But it has been recorded that many deadly wars have been waged in the name of religion. Besides, many innocent men have also been robbed and opressed in the name of religion. So, today in great fury, He passed a historic judgement, to all the representatives of religion, in the parliament of Heaven.

“You were sent to earth to show the path of truth and righteousness to the man,” said the God. “But you have divided the mankind by inventing religions, which is a serious fault in your part. Because you have divided the mankind, you are sending back to earth to free the man from the bondages of religions. You preach them the philosophy of universal love and brotherhood and peaceful co-existence among the man. Mind you, so long as mankind is divided in the name of religions, the door of heaven will be closed on you.”

As soon as the news spread, a crowd of Satan led by the lord of Satan demonstrated outside the parliament of Heaven stating that this judgement of God will transform the earth into graveyard. The lord of Satan further said, “Man’s existence is not possible without religion.”

Gujjar intensified their movement for ST status. Bandhs and violence that ensued took toll of lives and properties. The economy of the country suffered huge loss. The stir hogged headlines for quite sometime.

Let us not blame Gujjar communities for what they demand and what they did. Let us also not blame Mrs. Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, for the promise she made to the Gujjar, during the 2003 assembly elections, to garnered their support. Spell of the ‘reservation’ is hard to resist- we know that. It is so enticing to common people, so effective a tool for the political parties and so very essential for the successive governments in New Delhi to remain in-action.

I am told that the provision for the ‘reservation’ for SCs and STs was made in the Indian Constitution to reduce disparities, in term of social, economic, political and educational status, which existed at the time of the independence among the various communities of the country. This provision was to be valid for ten years. In these ten years, it was supposed that the government would take such remedial measures as to bring the disadvantaged communities to an equal footing with their more advantageous counterpart.

Ten years elapsed, twenty years elapsed…it is sixty years now. The disparities that existed sixty years back have widen further. The provision of reservation has been extended since and is still there. Rather it has been made more accommodative. Various categories of OBCs have also been included under the provision of reservation. Now it is turn for the Gujjar under separate category of ST. (For the Justice Jasraj Chopra Committee was not much convinced about Gujjar communities having ‘tribal’ characteristics.)

I sympathise with the Gujjar and for that matter with the other communities who are struggling and making sacrifices to get ST status. However, the fact remains that the so called ‘quota reservation’ is an eyewash and a deceptive ploy of the New Delhi. It is more to show the outside world and the people concern that the Government cares for the welfare of less privileged communities and is doing the needful.

I belonged to a ST community. I do not see much how ST status helps. District headquarters in Arunachal Pradesh are yet to be connected with all-weather roads, not to speak of rail and air connectivity. We are groping for basic amenities of life. It is so when the states’ native inhabitants are all STs. In our work place, in government organizations and PSUs, we suffer humiliation, not for our inefficiency, not for our lack of capabilities, but just for being ST. I wonder if we need ‘reservation’ in this globalise world. I for one would go for all-round development to reservation.

P.S.: Find out about G. Tallo here. His profile has been updated.

Seems like people has mastered the art of prediction of election results; well, atleast in the Apatani Plateau. Based on the peoples prediction of results, I had predicted earlier who will win the ZPM seats from the 6 constituencies, and the final results are not that different. Out of 6 ZPM seats, 4 were bagged by INC and 1 each by NCP and independent candidate. The results are:

1. Hari: Smt. Hage Yassung (INC)
2. Hija: Smt. Nada Dumi (INC)
3. Kalung-Reru: Nani Tani (NCP)
4. Diibo: Bamin Siri (Independent)
5. Hong: Tilling Doley (INC)
6. Hong: Hibu Uma (INC)

Now, it is to be seen if these elected representatives live upto the expectation of people who has voted them and how much development they would bring in the ‘grass root’ levels as was promised during their campaigning.

PRI Election Results Update (9:45 PM): (Based on Local Media reports) (ZPM Berth only)

1.Papum Pare

• Doimukh: Tana Bado (INC)
• Upper Balijan: Nabam Chukia (INC)
• Lower Balijan: Kabak Takam (NCP)
• Taraso: Nabam Eka (INC)
• Mengio: Nabam Bate (Ind)
• Kimin: Bamang Yayu (INC)-won earlier uncontested
• Results for Borum, Sagalee, Leporiang and Toru awaited

2.West Siang

• Liromoba: Toi Romin (INC)
• Yomcha: Jarsa Gamlin (INC)
• Darak: Badam Boje (INC)
• Kamba: Yali Karbak (INC)
• Along East Upper: Link Lollen (INC)
• Along East Lower: Jomkir Naso (INC)
• Tirbin: Gokar Lombi (INC)
• Gensi: Taken Mara (INC)
• Payum: Taken Yasing (INC)
• Basar:Kenmar Basar (RJD)
• Daring: B. Jirdo (Ind)