Writer takes up cudgels on behalf of Assamese-Chinese

Makam, or The Golden Horse, which became the best-selling book of the year in Assam, portrays the pain, suffering and alienation of a community who were brought by the British to work as labourers in the then fledgling tea industry.

The community by the sheer dint of their hard work and capacity to assimilate with the local community went on to carve a niche for themselves in the most prominent industry as well as in other spheres in the state.

"The book is very close to my heart and I am very possessive about it. I am overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to my book by not only readers here, but also those in other parts of the country and abroad," Chowdhury said.

She said she was not content with the fact that the book had been received so well by the people. "I want justice for the members of this community who have suffered immensely in the land of their birth. Above all, we want the ignominy of them being branded a spy be wiped out permanently," she said.

The world of Assamese Chinese went topsy turvy in November, 1962 on the eve of the signing of the Indo-Chinese treaty after the hostilities when 1,500 of them were picked up from Upper Assam town of Makum and taken to a detention camp in Deoli, Rajasthan, Chowdhury pointed out.

The story of the Assamese Chinese is a tragic tale of how in one day they were rounded up and told that they are being taken temporarily to a place for their own safety as the war was on, put into jail, stripped of all their wealth and belongings.

The book describes how the community people were taken on a seven-day train journey to Deoli Jail in Rajasthan with only meal a day and then deported to Hong Kong without a chance to bid farewell to their near ones.

During the course of her research for the book, Chowdhury met descendants of the Deoli camp internees at Hongkong, United States of America, Canada, Nepal and found that they all carried deep within their heart a strong desire to visit the land of either their birth or their ancestors.

"They are not interested in returning permanently to Assam as most of them are settled prosperously in the land of their new homes but the older generation, mostly those who were deported from the country, nurture a strong urge to see their birthplace at least once before they die," she said.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has assured Chowdhury that if any member of the community desire to return or even visit the state, the government will accord a warm welcome to them.

Chowdhury, in an effort to create a public opinion in ensuring justice for the community, appealed to all political, social organisations to come forward and help in correcting the mistakes of the past.

The Chinese community on its part is overwhelmed by the response of the people to the book and is immensely grateful to Chowdhury for bringing their story from obscurity to the whole world, said representatives of the Assamese Chinese community W H Tham and C K Wong.

"We are happy to know that following the publication of the book and sustained campaigning by Chowdhury, the government has taken the preliminary initiative to review the longstanding issues brought to fore by the book," the duo said.

The story of the Assamese Chinese portrayed in 'Makam' does not only speak of the adversities of the community here in the state or the rest of the country but also of the people around the world who have gone through similar situation, Tham and Wong pointed out.