After 26 years, I had the opportunity to stay in Assam for two months. Even during my marriage, I took only a 15-day vacation from my super busy corporate job at a multinational company.
After I graduated from the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara, in 1998, I left Assam.
Therefore, this trip was a fantastic chance to see the changes occurring in Assam’s cities, villages, and other rural areas.
I liked engaging with people, even when I was a kid. I adore the simplicity of village people.
I had the chance to constantly engage with people from all walks of life while I was there, including the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated, the young and the old, men and women, students and teachers, scientists and engineers, journalists and politicians, soldiers and businessman, farmers and laborers, doctors and patients, leaders and their supporters, opposition parties and the ruling party.
After 75 years of independence, for the first time, Assam is on the right track of development. Before relocating to the United States of America, I lived in Delhi-NCR for most of the prime time of my life.
I never intended to leave Assam for a living when I was younger, but it is His wish against my will.
When I felt reflective, I wondered when Guwahati would have the same level of development as Delhi or other tier-1 metros in terms of amenities like hospitals, research institutes, and universities. During this visit, I witnessed that Guwahati is now home to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Indian Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), National Law University, DST- Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), in addition to Guwahati University, Cotton University, Assam Engineering College, Guwahati Medical College, Ayurvedic Medicine College, and Veterinary College.
I also read the news about the construction of new institutes, such as the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and the Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute-Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (AAHII-IITG) are ongoing.
One day, I was in a “chai pe charcha” (discussion over tea) with my friends, and one of my friends said, “All these developments became possible only because of Mama. I questioned your maternal uncle. No! you do not know, Mama, he insulted me. Again, you really do not know Mama. Our honorable Chief Minister (HCM) is called Mama by the young generation.”
I reacted impulsively, “If Jawahar Lal Nehru can be chacha for the country, why not HCM Himanta da be the Mama for the young generation of Assam?”
I said, “All my old dreams are coming true because of Mama!” I had tears in my eyes. My friends became emotional, too. They said we never analyzed all these developments the way you did.
I also laud Mama’s endeavor to gift a medical college to every district of Assam. Though all the medical colleges are in their developmental stage, this is a great initiative, and it will pay a huge dividend to Assam in the coming days, provided the faculties appointed in those colleges work hard and improve the quality of teaching and research.
To venture into this type of ambitious project, one must be a fearless and visionary leader for a poor state like Assam. Salute to the HCM of Assam!!!
During my visit, I went to two such medical colleges. Since I have spent the last seven years working in the fields of microbiology, immunology, and pharmacology in medical colleges in New York and Texas, I am qualified to speak on these subjects.
However, I will hold off on criticizing till my next visit. I would say the government has done its duty. Now, all faculties, employees, and students must improve the quality of academics and research.
In 1998, when I had to leave Assam for higher studies, I used to lament, can Guwahati be like south Delhi?
Can we have better facilities in Assam? Now, all my dreams are getting translated into reality. Thank you, Mama, oh no, thank you, HCM Himanta da!
I do not know if I will be able to return to Assam. But at least the next generations will benefit from all these developments.
I started contemplating; nobody gave Mama an idea about IISER. Then I again questioned my journalist friend why nobody gave Mama an idea about IISER.
What is IISER, he questioned. Yes, you heard right. I am talking about the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER). We do not have one here like IIT or AIIMS. I told my friend, see, now we do not need to do Andolan to improve our infrastructures and facilities in Assam.
I asked my friends, “How many bridges have been constructed over Brahmaputra.” You will need time to count it. Count it and tell me on my next visit.
The All Assam Student Union (AASU), known for decades-long agitation and Ugra Jatiyatabad, has lost its relevance in today’s scenario if they do not re-strategize its future course of action.
We do not need any agitation in Assam for depriving us by central government; instead, if we need it at all, we need Andolan to improve Assam’s Karma Sanskriti (work culture).
It is time; we need to transform Assam into a contributor state rather than a beneficiary state in the coming days. I heard Samujjal Bhattacharya, Chief advisor of AASU, has joined Asom Unnati Sabha-a welcome step for Assam to work on the economic progress of Assam instead of supporting Ugra Jatiyatabad Andolan.
I again started, and all my old dreams have been realized. Now, I have started dreaming of a new dream:
“When Guwahati will become like Boston.” What do you mean by Boston, my friend questioned?
Boston is the brain of the world, the topmost educational hub of the world, where universities and institutions like Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are situated alongside one thousand Pharma and Biotech companies in just one city.
So, Assam should now improve the quality of institutes to make Guwahati the Brain of Bharat. Along with creating the best infrastructures, we must create a friendly atmosphere to attract the best and brightest minds to transform Guwahati into a knowledge city.
The government should now initiate a cluster of these institutions and universities to start groundbreaking research to create intellectual properties.
Only Assamese people alone cannot do this; we must be open to welcoming the best and most brilliant minds from any corner of the country.
It is now proven worldwide that diversity is key to productivity. America is so successful because of its diverse workforce. They welcome the best brains from across the globe.
Being a neutral person and from a nonpartisan standpoint, I am better positioned to judge the evolution of Assam and Assamese society in the last two and half decades.
And if you do not see something for a long time, then you are in a better position to judge and differentiate the nuance of changes, be it positive or negative changes that are taking place in a particular geography.
When I left Assam in 1998, it was a period of hopelessness; everywhere, there was despair, no new projects, no progress in any sector, no money for development, huge unemployment, bribes for every government job, rampant corruption, and terrorism.
After 26 years, when I visited the towns and villages of Assam, I could feel the vibrancy, positivity, hope, and enthusiastic youth. I saw a vast game and sports infrastructure being developed across Assam.
Though I tried to see some of these facilities from the inside, I still need permission to enter these new facilities in Guwahati.
But these facilities will help to revolutionize the sports and sporting spirits of Assamese people.
There are lots of improvements in the temples of Assam. I visited the newly built Maha Mrityunjay Temple in Nagaon.
I felt serene after reciting the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra there. It is a wonderful place of worship, and the temple design and architecture are superb.
However, I was disappointed to see the poor maintenance and cleanliness of the whole campus. I think local committees should understand that it is a great gift to them and maintain it immaculately.
Though many developments are taking place in Assam, there are still many problems, but we are on the right track. In Guwahati, I saw lots of development; there was vibrancy and economic activity everywhere.
However, I saw a massive influx of human population in Guwahati. In my understanding, this is beyond the capacity of this geography.
Every area can bear a certain number of people based on available resources. But to my surprise, the population of Guwahati is beyond the standard capacity.
This is not a good sign for the city. If this trend holds true for the next several years, then all the government developmental programs will not bear fruits due to the considerable population burden.
Roads and bridges will be overcrowded with large numbers of cars and uncontrolled traffic due to the substantial number of vehicles on the streets.
Water and power supply will be scarce, leading to poor hygiene and health issues. For sustainable development, population control will be critical.
Also, to decongest Guwahati, the government should plan a satellite city with good connectivity around Guwahati.
I read in the newspaper that the government is working on creating an outer ring road of Guwahati. This step is very welcome and will enable us to decongest the city.
One day, I was returning to Beltola from Nemcare Hospital. It got stuck on the road for three hours. I learned this is because of heavy downpours and artificial floods.
Artificial floods are not new and cause momentary distress to people; it happens in many famous and big cities across the globe due to climate change.
However, the cause of artificial floods in Guwahati is not unusual climate change; it is because of Guwahati’s poor drainage system.
It is a cumulative effect of many years. No previous government in independent India has worked on improving Guwahati’s drainage system.
I heard the government spends lots of money yearly to clean and maintain the drainage system. Still, in my practical experience, I found that drainage systems in Guwahati are not cleaned properly.
I opened the map of Guwahati on my mobile phone and tried to understand it. As a non-expert, I tried to understand that the Brahmaputra River runs through the city and, therefore, is the central drainage system of Guwahati.
Guwahati is on the bank of the mighty river Brahmaputra, so there should not be any drainage problem at all.
Anatomically, Guwahati should be a well-drained, neat, and clean city. But the people of Guwahati have killed the tributaries of Brahmaputra, partly by illegal construction, partly by landslides, and partly by dumping garbage into the river and its drainage system, especially the Bharalu River, Bahini River, and Basistha Rivers.
These tributaries carry a sizable portion of the Guwahati city’s municipal wastes. The crucial lakes of Guwahati viz. Sola Beel, Deepor Beel, and Silsako Beel are threatened to become shallow due to mud water coming from hills during the rainy season and not cleaning properly.
The total water-bearing capacity of these Beels is decreasing with time. Also, this has been complicated by human encroachment.
Guwahati deserves an efficient and strict solid waste management system, too. Without public participation, the government cannot succeed in controlling artificial floods in Guwahati.
The government should educate communities about maintaining clean drainage systems.
The government may learn from other countries, such as the underground flood tunnels of Tokyo, Japan, and the efficient drainage management of countries like Switzerland and South Korea.
I was born and raised in an interior village in the undivided Kamrup, now under the Nalbari district.
My village had no electricity or telephone when I studied in the village school. Now my village has both electricity and telephone facilities. But still, my village has no all-weather road.
Because of the rainy season, I could not drive to my village house. Still, I went to my village on a motorcycle with one of my friends. I asked my friend if we could go to our primary school.
We reached the primary school where I studied. I was delighted to see my school. I ran into my school and saw that it was closed. I asked my friend why the school had closed. Is it a holiday here today?
My friend was quiet; you do not know; the government has closed this school forever. I felt electrocuted by a thunderstorm for a moment.
I thought I lost my identity. I can no longer say I did my primary schooling in Kaithalkuchi Milan Prathamik Vidyalaya.
The government’s decision pained me. I asked my friend why nobody protested. He said who will listen to us. Why didn’t you inform the local MLA?
What will he do about this, local MLA? He did nothing for this village for the last 30 years. What will he do now? He took advantage of the simplicity and honesty of the people.
Though upset, I consoled myself, saying that the government might have a better plan for the village. Then I visited my High School, Kaithal Kuchi High English School; again, there was no improvement in the infrastructure, be it the school building or playground.
It is the same school, the same facility, that I left in 1990. My dream has enormous power; it takes time, but it becomes a reality at a point in time.
I started dreaming that within the next 5 years, my school would have better classrooms, if not smart classrooms, a good library, and a computer laboratory. My kids have done their schooling in Delhi, New York, and now in Texas.
I have seen the school and library facilities of developed nations like the USA and Japan. India wants to be Viksit Bharat by 2047. We have 20 years to develop our village school.
I questioned myself, “Is 20 years sufficient to make a system competent like developed nations? I meditate; nothing is impossible. If I can reach a US university from extreme poverty, why not India become Viksit Bharat by 2047?
We will need 20 years of arduous work filled with honesty and integrity. When I was in Japan, I used to ask my Japanese friends how they had become so developed.
In Japan, wherever I go, everywhere, everything is well maintained, neat, and clean; every road or building is maintained nicely. I used to feel jealous about their progress.
My Japanese friends said it is all because of the honesty and hard work of every member of society. From my day-to-day experience in developed nations, I feel public honesty is the foundation of all developed nations.
In our country, there is a widespread belief that there is no honesty at political and bureaucratic levels. But we must concede that there is dishonesty at all levels, be it at the government level, employee level, or contractor level, and even journalists are not very honest, with some exceptions.
We must force our political systems to be honest, and political systems should ensure bureaucratic honesty and integrity.
I visited my alma mater, the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara. I tried to comprehend the changes that have occurred over the past thirty years.
Two significant changes caught my attention: First, the College of Veterinary Sciences has been declared a veterinary university. This is a positive change for veterinary and animal husbandry. It was a long-standing demand.
Secondly, the Directorate of Veterinary Clinics is doing an outstanding job and making the veterinary profession proud.
From my global experience, I want to say one thing: the faculties of veterinary science are the best in the countries, and the college of veterinary science is one of the best in the countries.
However, I found that neither the students nor the teachers on the college campus were enthusiastic.
I have not seen much advancement in academia or research except for the excellence in veterinary clinics since I left in 1998.
The faculty and students need more encouragement from the Ministry of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry. I have only heard praise about veterinary clinics from the public.
There is tremendous potential for veterinary clinics if the government invests more in modernizing them.
There is an urgent need to upgrade the practical teaching and research laboratory of microbiology, biotechnology, immunology, pathology, pharmacology & toxicology, and histo-chemistry to increase the job prospects of new-generation veterinarians.
The upgrade will help the students keep pace with the rest of the country and the world. Farming sectors need significant attention.
As a part of new university development, the authority should focus on upgrading all instructional farms.
Instead of constructing an international guest house on a college campus to earn money, the university should focus on creating production farms.
To increase the farmer’s income by double digits, the recent resolve of the Modi government is that the government must improve veterinary and animal husbandry.
Even today, the condition of veterinary hospitals at the village, block, and district levels is inadequate.
The saying is, “A nation can be judged by how its animals are treated.” To realize the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the government must improve the veterinary hospital and doctor’s quarters across the state.
As a scientist, I travel to different geographies in developed nations to attend international conferences. Most of these international conferences are held in the Convention Center.
I attended conferences in several convention centers across the United States. I used to think about when we would have this type of convention center in Assam.
To my surprise, I am thrilled to learn that such a convention center is being built at Khanapara in Guwahati.
This is a very forward-looking vision of the current government to create such a platform. This type of infrastructure will one day help to attract big international events in Guwahati.
I saw the chief secretary of Assam write a blog on a global platform that an ultra-modern international airport is coming up with marvelous architecture in Guwahati.
I hope that the next time I visit Guwahati, I can land at that airport.
Though I was born and raised in Assam, I never heard about Ashtalakshmi during my school and college days there.
However, during this visit, I discovered people talking about Assam as the Ashtalakshmi of India, both in the political and social circles of the society.
In Hindu tradition, Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth. There are eight different expressions of Lakshmi, such as money (material), knowledge (skills), farming (products), valor, spirituality, royalty, offspring, and victory.
These eight manifestations of Lakshmi are called Ashtalakshmi. Ashtalakshmi dwells in the northeast corner of a house, office, or any state or geography bounded by a border.
According to Vastu Shastra, the northeast corner of a house or office or a state or country plays a vital role in the overall prosperity of that area.
It is believed that New York, the financial capital of the United States, is situated in the northeast corner of the USA.
It is now considered the world’s financial capital, as many of the world’s largest investment banks are headquartered in New York.
Historically, the US rightly established its financial capital in Ashtalakshmi.
In a similar line, Guwahati is the Ashtalakshmi of India. As per Vastu Shastra, it is believed that without the development of Guwahati or the proper attention of Ashtalakshmi, the development of India or Vikshit Bharat by 2047 will not be possible.
To attract wealth from across the globe and realize the dream of Vikshit Bharat, Guwahati must be developed as a world-class city.
Also, all the negative energy, such as terrorism in the northeastern states of India,should be eliminated from Ashtalakshmi to fulfill the dream of Vikshit Bharat by 2047.
For that, the government should create the finest infrastructure in a real sense to attract global commercial activities in Guwahati so that the world’s wealth can flow to India via its Ashtalakshmi.
