Assam's name to be changed to keep it united: Jahnu Barua

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) Renowned film maker Jahnu Barua has urged the Assamese residing all across the country to think patiently on the pressing need for changing the name of Assam.

Addressing the second lecture series on the Diamond Jublee celebration of the Assam Association here today, Mr Barua said the name should be selected after having discussions with all the ethnic groups in the state to maintain unity and harmony.

He said the present name of the state gave the Assamese a chauvinism which was greatly responsible for its present state of affairs.

Ethnic groups of Nagas, Mizos, Khasis, Garos, Arunachalis and Manipuris would have remained united and contributed to the prosperity of the region if Assam's name would have been changed soon after the Independence of the country, he added.

Though the time was running out, still efforts could be made towards achieving the objective, he said, adding the first attempt could be a United football team of the region for the Santosh trophy.

He alleged that a number of ethnic issues in the state were due to politicians as their interests were best served in sustaining those problems.

Blaming the people of the region for some of the problems, he said, ''We lost much of our time to adjust our selves to the Indian Standard time and no body else but the people of North East are suffering for this.

''In such a geographically big country like India, there should be at least two time zones. Even during the British Raj, the time in the North Eastern Region was one hour ahead of the IST. China has three time zones, Australia, America and Canada have four, while Russia has five time zones.'' The people of the North East have been deprived of having a family life for the past sixty years, which has its own bearing on the society and the reflection is now clearly visible, he said.

UNI BKS SYU AS1924