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Ethnic Assertion Among the Deori Community of Assam

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Ethnic Assertion Among the Deori Community of Assam INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 9, ISSUE 01, JANUARY 2020 ISSN 2277-8616 Ethnic Assertion Among The Deori Community Of Assam Ritamoni Gogoi Abstract: Ethnic diversity is distinctive feature of Northeast India in general and Assam in particular. Various ethnic groups in the region has started asserting their identity in post Independence period. The failure of the state led policies for the upliftment of tribes brings agony among the tribes leading to such assertions. It is argued that the state led policies have marginalizes the tribes contrary to their expectations. It has resulted in the identity assertion of the tribes in various forms. In such context, this paper attempts to understand the nuances of identity assertion among the Deori community of Assam. Further, it seeks to understand the different phases of identity assertion of Deori Community in Assam. Key Words: Deori, Identity, Autonomy, Assertion, Assam. —————————— —————————— 1. INTRODUCTION sub divided into various groups. The place of living and the Ethnic assertion is common phenomena among the various name of their Gods and Godesses forms the marker of the tribes in India in post independence period. Various ethnic names of various sub groups of Deoris. There is a close groups in Northeast India in general and Assam in association of the name of the sub groups with the name of particular like the Bodos, the Karbis, the Dimasas, the rivers. For example, the Diborgiya, Tengapaniya, Bongoyan Misings, the Rabhas etc. have been asserting their ethnic and Patorgoyan are living in the banks of the river Dibang, identity for political gain ranging from different state to Tengapani, Borgong and Patsadia or Patansal respectively. autonomous region. Such identity assertion is observed Among these groups, the patorgoyan group is not found among the Deori community of Assam with the broader aim today which might have amalgamated with other groups of of preservation of their distinct identity manifested through the community. Although, the Dibongiya Khel can speak language, culture, tradition etc. Deori is numerically third their own language, they use Assamese language and largest plain tribe of Assam and economically backward script for intercommunity communication. The total that makes is relevant to study their identity assertion population of Deori is Assam is 41161, out of which 20809 movement. In this context, this paper attempts to male and 20352 female. They mainly inhabit in the district understand the different aspects of ethnic identity assertion of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Dibrugrah, among the Deori community of Assaam. Sivasagar and Jorhat (Bharali and Deori, 2010). The Deoris see themselves as Jimo Chhayan which means that they 2. WHO ARE THE DEORIS? are the children of sun and moon. Other tribal communities Deori is a plain tribal community residing mainly in the state respect the Deoris as the priests or worshipers (Deoram, of Assam. They were also denoted as deori-chutia as they 2013). were priest of the Chutiya Kingdom. Deori means ‗honourable person‘ in Chutia language as the word deori 3. IDENTITY ASSERTION OF DEORIS AND consists of DE, O and RE in the Chutiya language. The THE ROLE OF MIDDLE CLASS word DE means big, great, honourable or knowledgeable, The social and historical factors have shaped the formation O and RE means male and female respectively. Banikanta of distinct ethnic identity among the Deori community of Kakoti (1978) stated that the word deori is derived from the Assam. There is close relation among the assertion of Sanskrit word ―Devagrihika‘. On the other hand, the ethnic identity and he emergence of middle class among Hemkosh Assamese Dictionary mentions that the Deoris the Deoris. The significant middle class organizations who are the special officers in temple who offers the ‗prasadas‘ played an important role in identity assertion among the of the gods in temple (Bharali and Deori, 2010). Ethnic Deoris are: Assam backward plain Tribal League consciousness is manifested among the Deoris and they ,Ganatantic Yakhya Mancha of Deori Janagosthi, All Assam are proud of their own ethnic identity and see themselves Deori Sanmilan(AADS), All Assam Deori student‘s union as superior to other communities. This helped in the (AADSU), Deori Sahitya Sabha(DSS), All Assam Deori formation of distinctive Deori identity over the years. There Autonomous Demand Committee (AADADC) etc. The are various folktales regarding the Deori community. One formation of Assam Backward Plain Tribal League known such story goes as follows: once the Goddess Mahamaya as Tribal League on 17th April 1933 at Raha of Nowgong was floating in the Dibang river as rock. Although various District was an important landmark in the socio-political life tribal people and non tribal Hindus tried to bring the as well as history of the tribals in Assam (Sonowal,2017). Goddess Mahamaya out of water, but they failed. The Bhimbor Deori was an important leader of the organization Goddess was finally pulled out of water by four Chutiya by who played important role in identity formation of the tribal performing prayers and they established the Tamreswari in general and Deoris in particular. Gopinath Bordoloi see Temple with the Goddess. These four people were also Bhimbor Deori as important agent for the emergence of assigned job of worshipping the Goddes who finally came political consciousness among the tribes. Bhimbor Deori to be known as Deoris (Bharali and Deori, 2010). Deori is started All Assam Deori Sanmilan as its President in 1936 not a homogenous community. There are four main social and worked for the socio-economic and political rights of divisions of Deoris as Tengaporiya, Dibongiya, Bongoya the community. He worked for creating identity based and Patorgoya (Bharali and Deori,2010). They are further consciousness among the tribe based on culture, customs 264 IJSTR©2020 www.ijstr.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 9, ISSUE 01, JANUARY 2020 ISSN 2277-8616 and language etc. On the other hand, organizations like a. Agro Based works The All Assam Deori Student Union (1959) and Deori One important area of Deori Autonomous Council is Shitya Sabha (DSS) are working for the preservation of development of agro based areas. These functions language and culture of the Deori community and hence include:(a) High yielding paddy seed,(b) Tilling land by their identity. The All Assam Deori Student Union at is tractors,(c) Supply of full‘s to plough,(d)Tube Wells(e) Sadia conference put forward the demand for Three tier Handcart,(f) Tea plants,(g) Orange Plants autonomy for the Deoris of Assam. The prepared a 12 b. The Livestock Development: (twelve) point of character demand which included the The livestock Development include training for piggery, demand for separate autonomous region for the poultry farms supply of cows for milk production, fishery community, recognition of the Deori language in the development, supply of high quality weaving equipments for constitution of India etc. They were fighting for getting the women, weaving centers opening in each village, specific provisions for the socio economic and political opening Muga farm and its infrastructure development etc. benefits of the community. A new phase of the identity c. Emergency Reliefs movement of the Deoris started with the work of Deori As the Deori community is mainly residing near river, they Students‘ Union (1989), Deori Autonomy Demand are prone to flood that necessitate the provision of committee (1993) and Deori-Chutiya Sahitya Sabha (1995). emergence relief for the community. Some important One important aspect of this phase is marking of Deori as a Emergency Relief provisions provided by Deori part of Chutia and demand for recognition of Deori-Chutiya Autonomous Council are: Language. There was no unanimity in their demand. Their ―(i) Supply of some funds for the flood affected demand was opposed by the All Assam Deori Sanmilan villages i,e. supply of tube well, water filters, food items etc. (AADS), All Assam Deori Student Union (AADS) and Deori (ii) Supply of free health treatment of men along Sahitya Sabha (DSS) etc. In this context, Deori National with animals and supply of mosquito nets for the poor etc. Convention (Deori Jatiya Gana Abhibartan) was held under (iii) Supply of Rabi crops in flood affected villages. the leadership of All Assam Deori Student Union, All Assam (iv) Land development‖. Deori Autonomous Demand Committee, All India Deori d. Education developmental activities Youth & Students Association, Deori Sahitya Sabha, and Deori Autonomous Council is also working for the Deori Mahila Parishad at Kundil Nagar( Narayanpur) on educational development of the community like: 27th to 29th of April 2003 stated that the name of the Deori ―(i) Free Coaching of student during Summer language could not be changed into Deori–Chutiya Vacations. language. They further supported the idea of separate (ii)Financial Assistance to tribal majority schools Autonomy of Deoris. The long history of agitation and and colleges and for the meritious students‖. atrocities of Deories led to award of autonomous status to e. Programme of Technical Training and Self them on 4th March 2005 (Sonowal, 2017). The formation of employment Autonomous Council marks a new phase in identity Some of the technical training and self employment assertion among the Deoris. programme are; ―(i)Technical inputs given to 167 unemployed youth 4. ROLE OF DEORI AUTONOMOUS COUNCIL to improve traditional occupation AND IDENTITY ASSERTION MOVEMENT (ii) 27 unemployed youth have been trained in Indian institute of Entrepreneurship. OF DEORIS (iii) To produce phyto-chemical row materials in Deoris were categorized as backward tribe according to flood affected silted wetland 30 unemployed youth are new Reform Act of 1935 despite having a glorious history trained in NEDFI. (Mullan, 1931). In such a situation , the Assam Plain Tribal iv) In the area of Handloom and textiles production League was able to create political awareness among the 25 females has been provided advanced training‖.
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