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Complete Dissertation VU Research Portal Performing Ethnicity to Resist Marginalisation The Tangsa in Assam Barkataki-Ruscheweyh, M. 2015 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Barkataki-Ruscheweyh, M. (2015). Performing Ethnicity to Resist Marginalisation The Tangsa in Assam. VU University Amsterdam. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 06. Oct. 2021 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Performing Ethnicity to Resist Marginalisation The Tangsa in Assam ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen op vrijdag 27 november 2015 om 9.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Meenaxi Barkataki-Ruscheweyh geboren te New Delhi, India promotor: prof.dr. H.W. van Schendel copromotor: dr. E.W. Bal CONTENTS Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................................vii Glossary............................................................................................................................................................x List of Tangsa groups and other groups named in the text.........................................................................xiii List of maps, tables, figures, sketches and photos......................................................................................xiv Chapter 1. Setting the Scene...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 The frame project ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.2 Basic aims and claims of the study ............................................................................................... 6 1.1.3 Positioning this study in the allied literature ................................................................................ 9 1.2 The theoretical frame .................................................................................................................... 11 1.2.1 Some operational definitions ..................................................................................................... 11 1.2.2 Festivals, rituals and performance ............................................................................................. 12 1.2.3 Culture, identity and ethnicity .................................................................................................... 14 1.2.4 Related theoretical debates ....................................................................................................... 15 1.3 State policy and rise of ethnic consciousness ................................................................................. 16 1.4 Outline of the book ........................................................................................................................ 19 1.4.1 The structure of the chapters ..................................................................................................... 19 1.4.2 Summary of the chapters ........................................................................................................... 20 1.5 POSTSCRIPT: Defining my position in the project and in the field ................................................ 22 1.5.1 Working in a multi-disciplinary documentation project ............................................................. 22 1.5.2 Field work methods and problems ............................................................................................. 23 1.5.3 Coming to terms with writing up ................................................................................................ 27 Chapter 2. Introduction to the Tirap Area.................................................................................31 2.1 Brief History of the Tirap area ........................................................................................................ 32 2.2 Geographical description and political history of the Tirap Area .................................................... 35 2.2.1 Administrative history ................................................................................................................ 37 2.2.2 Some administrative and terminological details ........................................................................ 39 2.3 The diversity in Tirap ..................................................................................................................... 40 2.3.1 Some of the ‘older’ tribes living in the Tirap area ...................................................................... 41 2.3.2 The other communities living in the area ................................................................................... 44 2.3.3 The ethnic mix ............................................................................................................................ 45 2.4 The present scenario ...................................................................................................................... 48 iii 2.4.1 Performing ‘unity in diversity’: The Dihing Patkai Festival ......................................................... 49 2.4.2 Minority politics: the formation of a Development Council ....................................................... 53 2.5 Two crucial developments ............................................................................................................. 55 2.5.1 The coming of Baptist Christianity .............................................................................................. 56 2.5.2 Militant nationalisms .................................................................................................................. 57 2.6 POSTSCRIPT: Persistence of colonial attitudes ............................................................................. 61 Chapter 3. Getting Acquainted with the Tangsa........................................................................64 3.1 Survey of literature on the Tangsa ................................................................................................. 64 3.2 Linguistic classification of the Tangsa groups ................................................................................. 67 3.2.1 Tangsa languages ........................................................................................................................ 69 3.3 Migration history and connection with other groups ..................................................................... 70 3.3.1 Connection with the Naga .......................................................................................................... 72 3.3.2 Relation to the Singpho .............................................................................................................. 74 3.4 The Pangwa group ......................................................................................................................... 76 3.4.1 Tangsa (Pangwa) festivals ........................................................................................................... 77 3.4.2 Some aspects of Tangsa everyday life ........................................................................................ 79 3.5 Life in the plains ............................................................................................................................ 81 3.5.1 Some of the changes .................................................................................................................. 82 3.5.2 Conversion to Christianity .......................................................................................................... 84 3.5.3 The present scenario .................................................................................................................. 88 3.6 POSTSCRIPT: My first introduction to the Tangsa ........................................................................ 89 Chapter 4. Kharangkong: the last bastion of the old world......................................................92 4.1 Aphu Tyanglam: the tired but stubborn campaigner ..................................................................... 96 4.1.1 A portrait of the man .................................................................................................................. 96
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