The Assamese Diaspora and Assam.

The excessive euphoria, generated by the upcoming
jamboree of the Assamese Diaspora, to be held in
Guwahati in the early part of next year, raises a
couple of pertinent questions. Firstly, should
Assamese expatriates consider returning to Assam with
their money and invest into the future of what was
once their native land? And secondly, why do the
Assamese Diaspora, ambitiously called NRA
(Non-resident Assamese), work better and shine in a
country, say for example, the USA?

Although, Indians are the single largest community
among the movers and shakers here in the US, thanks to
the Midas touch of the IIT graduates, the size of the
Assamese community, in comparison, is really tiny.
Without equivocation, one must admit that the members
of this minuscule community have had fair amount of
success in their respective professional fields. But,
would they be able to emerge victorious and cast a
magic spell in the economic development of Assam? In
view of the existing sociopolitical framework, I have
serious reservations.

The pace of infrastructure development in Assam can be
matched with that of a snail, in which setting up of a
business is an uphill task and bribing bureaucrats
galore. The politicians, who are profuse with their
promises, suddenly turn invisible, indifferent and
inaudible, when it is time for them to deliver. It is
equally important to keep in mind that no investor is
likely to venture into a business deal, where physical
security is a big question mark. One must remember
that the work of philanthropy is vastly different from
investing one's hard-earned money into a business.
Without an efficient economic infrastructure, there is
no guarantee that honesty and hard work will be
rewarded adequately.

Now turning to the question as to why Assamese
expatriates in the US or other economically better-off
countries do well, the answer is simple. They can
succeed only where there is an adequate and proper
infrastructure in place. As if, some divine power was
so upset with Assam that it gave away all the "good
stuff" to the USA! The successes of the NRAs in the US
are a credit to the Americans, who built a system that
rewards work and productivity. Assam's failure in this
regard, is a discredit to each one of the Assamese
people and to no one else. Who is going to provide the
infrastructure? In our piercing insights and profound
analysis of Assam's failure, there is not even an iota
of the awareness that "I" may share some of the
responsibility. Who is supposed to agitate for probity
and accountability? Who else, after all, are the
public, the politicians and the insurgents, other than
someone from amongst us? The Assamese people tend to
wring their hands, whine and blame anything and
everything other than themselves. The people of Assam
cannot be absolved from the messy situation, they are
in today. Only, if the people realize the need for
them to participate more fully in their roles as
"responsible citizens," will things really begin to
improve.

It is time for the good citizens of Assam and the
politicians of all shades and grades to wake up from
stoicism and start thinking of Brain Gain instead of
lamenting of Brain Drain.  In my opinion, at this
point of time, the human capital of the Assamese
Diaspora rather than the financial capital really
matters. In this regard, the NRAs, as a first step,
can perhaps lay the groundwork by forming a people's
awareness group, where meaningful information can be
exchanged.

- Kamaljit Deka, Sugarland, Texas