Growing with Recent History

History until than seemed liked tells of Raja, War, and British and at the best Freedom movement. History went out of fashioned after that in our age of formation.  Thanks to curriculum changes it went out of syllabus too, but my passion for reading and real stories kept my knowledge updated and lurked through the history book of my elder brothers’ .But those book finished with India’s freedom and few chapter on wars after independence.

Modern History didn’t existed then as India was a young country...did liked the fictional account of Salim Siani in Midnights Children or in Assamese Classic like Mrityunajay or Yairungum .

Than arrived William Dalrymple who popularized the methodical literature on History and History came to literary style once again and with recent hullabaloo in the atmosphere with History brought back all the curiosity in History. But sadly by this time our generations also become a part of History without knowing.

Now If I remember my Childhood we have lived through chilling time and saw History being made, sadly we have been part of dark time that constantly loomed over Assam after partition.

It was 1983 , I was about six I was in a little village in Bhutan Border  –school, college, university  were closed for about a year , the roads and traffic were mostly closed ,and electricity was never there ..Young Students never ventured out of Home in fear, and every night there were cries and we use to be awake ---some attack is imminent.Sometime there were News of Immigrant attacking Ethnic people sometime there were clashes between Ethnic Assamese speaking and the Bodo communities. Sometime t is the news of Paramilitary picking up young students and….Thankfully we felt relatively safe as we lived in a Hospital premise as my father happened to be the only doctor serving a huge area and giving service to all community. We were assured that the ‘they’ will not attack us...

Moved to Guwahati after that   and saw a new era …Saw How people en mass hated the ministry borne out of 83 election boycotted by Assamese people. Do remember faintly listening to lecture of Prafulla Mahanta than leader of All Assam’s Student Union. Then saw the sea of people welcoming Assam Accord signatories … I think I was in class II ,the 85 Election and everyone of us trying to draw Elephant the election symbol of AGP , the political party borne out of Assam Agitation. (1979-85, where800 + died protesting and an uncountable death and deception till today). Than the fall of   AGP – I think it was in class six or seven .Our textbook contained a poem called The Patriot by Robert Browning …AGP felled just like him.

We used to listen to new kind of story...at fist news of young man entering the house of businessman, to official and tea planters and asking for money...after few months news of death sometime of the young boys who wanted to bring justice ..Or of some businessman who made some more bucks …

Every news use to make sensation, debate and we grew with all that

Than few arrived few powerful dreaded men. We attained youth hood by then. Often confronted few dreaded man who looked like some DON out of underworld movie...We use to see them in Pan Shop, in front of bars ..And there were an unsaid law –avoid them, don’t overtake their car –They have Gun which can fire anytime. Those were the boy who vowed to liberate the ‘broader Assamese’ pride till a few years back becomes ‘promising’ business man by then.

The restlessness continued and people started vanishing...More dead bodies, part of human bodies started recovering. This time they were not of any rebel or businessman. Man of all sphere –government official , writer , pan shop owner ,doctor who lived simple and humble life were killed by still ‘unknown’ miscreant .

I was a medical student then. Restless with all the news but with a hope that things will be better soon as ‘we have the power to change the world’ for good.

The ghost of the past keep me hunting ….and often feel bad when that strength of my optimist hope is getting alienated as times passes ..

Then the doubt of amnesia.

Am I forgetting my past …

BY then documentation of     recent History has become a trend and thankfully I got my reading rhythm back. And brought the copies of following books

Assam: The Accord, The Discord by Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty and Gupta_Hatya (Secret Killing) - A collection of report on secret killing that took place in Assam.

The first book- is written from all prospects keeping in view of the Indian Subcontinent and international reader who are interested in Assam’s problem. Written with a balanced view the book can be read with a neutral set of mind. And the second book give chilling accounts of death which have no answer even today.