ASA President Requests Texas to Hold Assam Day along with Assam Convention in 2004

ASA President Mantu Baishya of Omaha, Nebraska,
requested Barada Sarma of Austin, Texas to hold Assam
Day 2004 along with Assam Convention 2004. Baishya
also requested Barada Sarma and Texas Assamese
residents to call the 2004 get-together Assam 2004 in
the tradition of the neutral names used during the
last three years: Assam 2001 in Toronto, Canada; Assam
2002 in Denver, Colorado; and Assam 2003 in St. Louis,
Missouri. Here is a copy of the letter sent by Mantu
Baishya on October 5, 2003.
-----
Barada Sarma
President, Steering Committee

Dear Sarma da,

Thank you for inviting us to the Assamese get-together
via your email dated 30th September 2003.  We like to
be a part of this get-together as much as you like us
to be, however after carefully reading this letter I
noticed that you have kept the name of the
get-together as Assam Convention 2004. My
understanding is that it has been AANA's tradition to
name its annual meeting Assam Convention for the past
20+ years and hold it around the country. The name
Assam Convention is more or less synonymous with AANA
as far as the Assamese people in North America are
concerned. ASA also has been successfully holding its
annual meeting along with cultural festivities around
North America under the name Assam Day for the past
many years. The name Assam Day is more or less
synonymous with ASA.

Now, I need a clarification from your end that whether
you are holding an AANA convention and ASA is invited
as a guest, a common practice of AANA from 1992
through 1998, or it is a real joint event as has been
the new and commendable tradition from 1999. If it is
a real joint get-together, I like to request the Texas
Assamese community and you as the President of the
Steering Committee to select a non partisan name. If
you think, you do not have intention to change the
name to a non partisan name, at least please allow us
to hold Assam Day 2004 also at the same venue you have
selected for Assam Convention 2004. This will continue
the wonderful tradition of having joint get-togethers
creating goodwill among all Assamese people in North
America.

As you are aware, starting 1999, ASA and AANA have
held joint annual meetings with a name that is
associated neither with ASA nor with AANA. The names
used have been "Assam Convention/Assam Day1999", "Y2K
Assam Conference", "Assam 2001", "Assam 2002" and
"Assam 2003". Kindly let me know by October 31st,
2003,  if the Texas Steering Committee is ready,
willing and be able to organize Assam Day 2004 along
with Assam Convention 2004 in Austin. If you decide to
facilitate the holding of Assam Day 2004 with Assam
Convention 2004, I would request that it be named in a
non-partisan manner. My personal preference would be
"Assam 2004" although a name like "Assam
Convention/Assam Day2004" will be acceptable. Thanks.

Mantu Baishya

President, ASA