Delinquency of a Scholar

                               Hira Charan Narjinari

An article entitled “Thomnaloi Goichilo”, written by Dr. Ramesh Chandra Kalita, which appeared on 29 January 2014 in an Assamese Daily called Asomiya Khabar, drew my attention. As I went through the article I had found that once again Dr. Kalita has used his pen to attack and decry the Bodo people in a way which is unbecoming of a scholar like him.

It appears that Dr. Kalita is having a bee in his bonnet which is why he is frequently writing in an eccentric way against the Bodo people and against their demand for a separate State. He is beating about the bush to prove that Bodo people do not possess any history and that their demand for a homeland is unjustified. Furthermore, he believes heart and soul that creation of Bodoland Territorial Council was undemocratic. However, it has been observed that, whenever he writes he writes without giving chapter and verse for his statement.

His thoughts are all moonshine in that that he compares Bodoland Territorial Council with the ancient Roman Amphitheatre. He accuses Sonia-Manmohan-Rahul of Delhi and Tarun Gogoi of Dispur for turning Bodoland Territorial Council area into an ancient Roman Amphitheatre where live human beings(probably he means non-Bodos) are being left to be devoured by fierce animals (he certainly means Bodo people) and accuses them for watching and enjoying hilariously the plight of those live human beings from afar. By equating Bodo people with fierce animals Dr. Kalita has shown his absolute hatred towards the Bodo people and it shows his debased nature. On the other hand, however, he had cautiously secreted the fiercer character of his own people which may be made out from the latest edition of Crimes in India.

Dr. Kalita is perhaps not aware of the fact that according to the latest edition of Crimes in India 2012 Statistics, published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, East Block-7 R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066 Assam has emerged as the State with the highest rate of violent crimes during 2012. While the share of violent crimes of the total IPC crimes in the whole of India was 11.5%, the State of Assam reported the highest rate of 54.2%. Under the crimes against women, Assam has topped the chart with 89.5% as compared to the national average of 41.7 per cent.   

If we look at the district-wise IPC crimes then we will find that in the four districts of Bodoland Territorial Council area, murder constituted 16.15% (221) while in the rest of the districts of Assam it constituted 83.85% (1147). Rape in BTC area constituted only 6.24% (107) while in the rest of Assam it was 93.76% (1609). Kidnapping & Abduction in BTC area constituted only 6.56% (250) while in the rest of Assam it was 93.44% (3562). The only deviation in 2012 was the case of Riots (Sec. 143-145, 147-151, 153, 153A, 153B, 157, 158, 160 IPC) in BTC area in which out of 5077, BTC area constituted 56.27% (2857) while in the rest of Assam it constituted 43.73% (2220). This was an exceptional case as during 2012 there had been clashes between the Bodos and the immigrants Bengali Muslims.

The 2011 edition of Crimes in India 2011 Statistics also revealed that during 2011 the IPC crimes in the four districts of the Bodoland Territorial Council area were much lower than the rest of the other districts of Assam. According to Table 1.14, District-wise Incidence of Cognizable Crime (IPC) During 2011, page 251, total murder (Section 302 IPC) in Assam was 1303 out of which only 159 murders in four districts under BTC, have been reported. That is to say, total percentage of murder in 2011 in BTC area constituted only 12.20 while in the rest of the districts of Assam the percentage constituted 87.80 (1144). Total Rape (Section 376 IPC) in Assam in 2011 was 1700 out of which in BTC area only 139 rape cases have been reported. That is to say, in BTC area rape cases constituted only 8.18% (139) while in the rest of Assam it constituted 91.82% (1561). Total Kidnapping & Abduction (Sec. 363-369, 371-373 IPC) in Assam in 2011 was 3764 out of which kidnapping & abduction in BTC area was only 283 (7.52%) while in the rest of Assam it was 3481(92.48%).

From the above any average person will be able to say that BTC area is safer than the rest of Assam districts. NCRB reports for 2011 and 2012 respectively clearly reveal the fact that what Dr. Kalita has tried to educate readers through his article by furnishing fabricated story does not conform to the Government reports.

Now, for the sake of argument, based on the Government of India’s statistics on high rate of IPC crimes in Assam, we may equally term the districts of Assam save four districts under BTC following Dr. Kalita’s own words as the Roman Amphitheatre, simply because murders, rapes, and kidnapping & abductions are more rampant in other districts of Assam than in the four districts of BTC.  Will Dr. Kalita publicly condemn the Assam or Gogoi government for turning Assam into a den of murderers, rapists, kidnappers and abductors? He alleges that BTC has been given the power to oppress, rape, and kill one section of the communities (Read non-Bodos). If so, then, why not he also holds the Assam government equally responsible for violent IPC crimes which are much higher than IPC crimes committed in the BTC area?

Having considered the above statistical information furnished none other than by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, we are persuaded to say that Dr. Ramesh Chandra Kalita has deliberately taken up his pen to rouse public animosity against the Bodo people of Assam by furnishing make-believe story. Why is he holding back his pen from writing strongly against high rates of crimes under the Assam or Gogoi government? He should come out with a proposition that as IPC crime rate in Assam is higher than the national average, the creation of the State of Assam was undemocratic.  

Dr. Kalita has made outlandish statement with regard to the formation of ministry in Dispur. He states that in the present Legislative Assembly of Assam the Congress Party under the leadership of Tarun Gogoi has got absolute majority with 79 members while its ally BPF has 10 or 11 members in the Legislative Assembly, and then he argues, but Tarun Gogoi or Congress Party did not allow BPF party to form the Government because of its being minority in number. Citing this example he argues that if and when 27/30 per cent Bodo people can rule over 73/70 per cent people and if such democratic method of rule is created for the benefit of BTC then the same method should be introduced in Dispur. By saying so Dr. Kalita means that BPF party should have been allowed to form Government in Dispur. Dr. Kalita must have forgotten the fact that India is a Constitutional Democracy with a Parliamentary system of Government and at the heart of the system is a commitment to hold regular free and fair elections. These elections determine the composition of the Government, the membership of the two Houses of Parliament, the State and Union Territory Legislative Assemblies, and the Presidency and vice-Presidency.

By drawing illogical analogy, Dr. Kalita has proved himself to be utterly devoid of knowledge on the Constitutional Democracy of India. He should start studying the Constitution of India so that he might acquire knowledge as to how the democracy functions.  

Dr. Kalita states that it was the custom of the Kacharis to erect stone-pillars on the grave of deceased persons and that evidence of this kind is found in Dimapur and elsewhere which proves that in the lands where these relics are found there was Kachari kingdom. From his thesis it may be said that the ruins of Dimapur was the graveyard of the Kacharis. In all probability, Dr. Kalita’s view is not correct. In 1874, Major H.H. Godwin-Austin, the then Deputy Superintendent, Topographical Survey of India, had visited Dimapur who has left for us a vivid description of the ruined site. While describing about the stone-pillars Major Godwin-Austin states that it is difficult to say what they are intended to represent, but some thought it to be a form of lingas. He however considered that the setting up of the stone-pillars is more likely “an act of propitiation of their deities or of handing down the memory of its foundation to posterity.” I had personally visited the ruins of Dimapur in 1995 and had examined the ruined site but no trace of grave was seen or found at that time. Based on what facts Dr. Kalita, stated that it was the customary of the Kacharis to erect stone-pillars on the grave of deceased persons is best known to him. However, we shall look forward to his publishing a scholarly thesis on the subject in order that our ignorance on the matter may be removed.

According to him, Kachari and Bodo are two different septs of Mongoloid origin and at the same time he states that no stone-pillars like that of Dimapur exist in the present BTC area and therefore, he argues, the Bodos cannot claim that the said tract was their ancient homeland. Isn’t it contradictory in his conception of Kachari and Bodo? 

He states that on his way to Thomna from Nathkuchi on 8 January 2014 to attend a mass rally of O-Boro Suraksha Samiti he happened to pass through two or three Bodo villages when he observed that even at that cold season he could not see Bodo people wearing good warm attires except torn-out attires. He also remarked that women folks wrapped their bodies with torn-out gamocha (napkin) and their huts looked deplorable. He then asks as to whom BTC is for? His intention is certainly to show BTC’s indifference to economic development of the area. His description will, no doubt, sensitize the readers and create sympathies. However, Dr. Kalita has failed to acquaint his readers with the over-all economic condition of the people of Assam.

In this connection, Dr. Kalita should have gone through the Planning Commission estimates, released on 19^th March 2012, about the population of Assam living below poverty line during 2009-10. The estimates found that Assam had 37.9 per cent (116.4 lakh) population living below poverty line during 2009-10, as against 34.4 per cent (97.7 lakh) population during 2004-05. According to the 2011 Census the total population of Assam is 31169272 out of which the total population of four districts of BTC numbers 3155359 (10.12%) while in the rest of the 23 districts of Assam the total population numbers 28013913 (89.88%). Now according to Planning Commission estimates the population of Assam living below poverty line was 1 crore 16 lakhs 40 thousand. Supposing out of total population living below poverty line we consider the entire population of 3155359 (27.11%) in BTC area as living  below poverty line (which is unlikely) still then the population of the rest of Assam living below poverty line is 8484641(72.89%) which is much more on the higher side. If that is the case, then, will Dr. Kalita still shut out his eyes against the high rate of poor people in Assam living below poverty line and remain tight-lipped against the Gogoi government? Come on, Dr. Kalita, you are a lover of people you must do something to attract the Assam government to the burning issue of high rate of poverty in Assam. Will you do that through your pedagogic writing? 

The last but not the least, from the facts and figures as referred to above it is apparent that Dr. Kalita’s frenzied venture to present the Bodo people as undeserving for geo-political power and BTC as undemocratic has only revealed his ugly face. However, writing volumes with his edgeless pen against the Bodos and BTC with a jaundiced eye will not bear any fruit whatsoever.