Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Call to embrace people of Chinese origin

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 7 � Noted writer Rita Chowdhury today made an appeal to all political parties, groups, organizations and the society of the State as a whole to come forward to support and accept the Assamese people of Chinese origin who are living in the state of anonymity, sulking the wounds inflicted by the 1962 Indo-Chinese war.

The Chinese people, who were brought to Assam by the East India Company to utilize their skill in the then nascent tea industry, subsequently settled down in the State establishing matrimonial relations with the indigenous people. Unfortunately, they were subjected to inhuman treatment in the wake of the 1962 Indo-Chinese War and condemned as enemies of India for their Chinese origin.

Rita Chowdhury has presented a touching picture on the plight of these people, who are mainly concentrated in Makum area of Tinsukia district of the State in her latest novel Makam. �After prolonged detachment from China, these people have almost forgotten their own language and mostly interact in Assamese and Hindi. Except for their names, they do not have any feature that speaks of their Chinese origin� Chowdhury said while interacting with the media here.

The plight of these people was such that they were forcefully taken to the Deoli internment camp in Rajasthan in a week-long arduous journey

The writer also met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on November 5 to make the same appeal. .The Chief Minister acknowledged the hardship faced by these people. The Chief Minister also assured the writer that the people living in China, estranged from their families in Assam, and even those who were born and brought up in Assam and later had to face deportation would be given a warm welcome, if they want to visit their birthplace.

�Some of these Assamese people of Chinese origin, who were detained in Deoli internment camp in the wake of the 1962 Indo-Chinese war, were deported to China in a phased manner and some others were released later on. Those released from Deoli came back to Assam. This, however, caused split in many families. Unfortunately, by then, their property was either auctioned by the authorities as enemy property or was occupied by others,� Chowdhury said.

According to her, for long 48 years after the Indo-Chinese War, the Assamese people of Chinese origin are confined to themselves fearing a denouncement from the society. However, those settled in China and Hong Kong still celebrate their India connection by organizing functions and dancing to the tunes of Indian and Assamese songs. Many of them have died hoping to see their birthplace and search for their departed family members, while many still harbour hopes to visit Assam and India, which they call their �Janam Jaga (birthplace).�

�As a writer I focused on the plight of this deprived community. People of this community living in Assam, need our love and sympathy and a warm welcome from the other sections of our society so as to expedite the process of their assimilation in the society and be a part of the greater Assamese society,� Chowdhury said.

Next Story