Misinterpreted…

Being an outsider, it’s very easy to actually form a verdict on a place with the very little information that is available. We seldom verify if the statistics provided by the different sources are true, or even go so far as to verify the reasons that have led to the so called disturbances. Hearing a lot about the disturbances of the north-east I was told by pretty much everybody I knew, to be careful or not to go. The only people ever supporting the decision to go on a vacation were a couple of very good friends and my Assamese colleagues.

Taking the word of my friend that you must actually see or rather experience something before forming an opinion I decide to give it a shot. Already armed with a little knowledge on the state from my cousin who had gone there earlier I geared myself for a long awaited vacation.

Entering the state of Assam was actually nostalgic. It reminded me so much of my native state of Kerala. Assam welcomes you with lush green paddy fields dotted in regular intervals with small water bodies and of course that sprinkling of modernization with the ever present signs of communication and electricity poles. Getting over the initial surprise of geographical similarity I notice that the track is yet to be electrified.

Well with the news reports from nearly almost all the national and regional channels I am geared up for a city and a state plagued by bomb blasts and riots. Stepping on to the platform and subsequently out of the station and on my ride to my friend’s house what I see is actually a city just like any other in the country. In fact the city is even more peaceful than most other cities, there is a joke about Kerala, where they say that the state works for a maximum of hundred days and the rest two hundred and sixty five days they are on some strike or the other.

If you actually take this statistic even with a pinch of salt, the city of Guwahati and the rest of Assam is doing far far better than the rest of us. Well which state does not have its share of troubles? Considering the fact that the state bounces back pretty soon after the several different problems is very impressive. The city of Coimbatore had a couple of bombs blasts in ’97, it’s only of late that the developments are happening. Compared to this even with the induced insurgency in the state, it is pretty calm.

Very recently I was talking about my trip to an uncle and aunty when they too asked about the political scenario of the state and when I explained the same to them they too were amazed and in fact so fascinated were they with my explanation that they are planning a trip to Assam soon. (must ask the government for making me an ambassador)

This reaction and the subsequently the wonderful experience I had in Assam actually makes you wonder why is it that the world perceives Assam as a place plagued with violence when there are places within our country where the intensity of violence is even more pronounced and the yet the places are synonymous with holidays and tourism. Blame it on the government or the media, blame it on us who actually jump to conclusions without actually seeing the situations for ourselves. Well each one of us have a different point of view and it really wouldn’t be fair on my part to form an opinion for the rest of you but as far as my judgement goes step foot into Assam and it will really be hard for you to hate it. You just fall in love with the land the people and the culture. Jai aai Asom.