“Human Migration and Identity Issues: An Analysis of India’s North East”

  Introduction:                                                           

In recent years, the issues of human migration and its impacts on the socio-economic and cultural life of the people is being widely debated throughout the world. In simple language, migration means movement of people from one place to other in search of better living condition. However, a large scale migration of the people may affect the demographic characteristics of a state or a nation. As a result, conflict may occur between the aborigines and the migrants leading to large scale human rights violations. The prime objective of this paper is to highlight the issues of human migration in the North Eastern part of India and its impacts on the socio-economic and cultural identity of the people in the region.   

It is well known fact that the present North Eastern states (earlier undivided Assam plus Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim)[1] of India have been the safe destinations of various streams of interstate and international migrants during the colonial and post-colonial period. Large number of new social groups like Nepalis, Marwaris, Biharis, Hindu Bengalis, Muslim Bengalis, Chinese, Americans, British and tea garden laborers (Black Tribals) migrated into the North Eastern part of India during the colonial period[2]. The pull factors of the migration in the North East India are the soft British policies towards migration, large area of virgin fertile land, rich natural resources and abundance of employment avenues in newly emerging tea Industries and various institutions of the region. Besides, there are other avenues like Coal and Oil production, construction of roads, railways and buildings which attracted the immigrant laborers.[3]  On the other hand, scarcity of land, employment and natural resources had been the push factors for outmigration in East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar. In order to handle Santal movement in Jharkhand and to meet the scarcity of the laborers in the Tea Gardens of Assam, the Colonial administration brought a huge number of laborers from Jharkhand in the early period of 20^th century. However, the most alarming influx of foreign migrants occurred in 1945/46 while large number of Bangladeshi migrants were imported in Assam under the policy of “Grow More Food” by the then Chief Minister-Mahammad Sadullah. This policy of Mr Sadullah brought large number of Bangladeshi migrants and changed the demographic pattern of the region.[4] Then comes the partition of India (15^th August, 1947) and the Bangladesh War of Independence (1970s) which resulted into large scale migration into the region. The following table (table No-1) may substantiate this phenomenon.

Table-1: Population Growth in Assam*: 1901-1991[5]

Year	Growth rate, Assam	Growth rate, All India	Variation
1901-1911	16.99	5.73	11.26
1911-1921	20.48	-0.31	20.78
1921-1931	19.91	11.0	8.91
1931-1941	20.40	14.22	6.62
1941-1951	19.93	13.31	6.62
1951-1961	34.98	21.51	13.34
1961-1971	34.95	24.80	10.15
1971-1991**	52.44	48.24	4.2

*Assam before 1963 includes present Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal and Mizoram were separated from Assam in 1963, 1971, 1986 and 1986 respectively. Therefore, up to 1961census Assam represents whole of North East India with exception of Tripura, Manipur and Sikkim.

** No census was conducted in Assam in 1981. Hence the growth rate is for twenty Years from 1971-1991.

Estimations of the Total Migrants in the North eastern part of India:

There is no consensus of estimation regarding the number of total migrants in the North Eastern part of India. Besides, the whole of North Eastern part of India with exception to Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim had been within the fold of undivided Assam till 1963. And this process of separation from Assam had completed only in 1986 with the separation of Mizoram and Meghalaya. Therefore, lack of sufficient information and evidences had been a major challenge while writing about North East Issues.

Census of India, 1921 has estimated the number of total migrants in Assam at 411941 during 1911-1921.[6] Likewise, Anil Saikia, H Goswami and A Goswami have estimated the number of foreign migrants in Assam at 1337015 during 1951-1991.[7] Amalendu Guha has also estimated that the number of post-1951 settlers with questionable citizenship status would in no case exceed 13 lakhs.[8] All Assam Students Union and Gana Sangram Parishad have also estimated the number at 45 Lakhs.[9] Susanta K Das believes that the population growth in Assam from 1901-1951 “has been the second highest in the world, exceeded only by Brazil”[10]

In Tripura, flows of refugee and migrants became alarming during 1940s and 1950s. “By 1958, 374,000 refugees had entered Tripura and massive rehabilitation was carried out. By 1960, 70,000 families were rehabilitated, of whom 34,000 were settled in 75 colonies in Agartala and the rest in different places.”[11] However, the flow of migrants and refugee continued to be unabated till the Bangladesh war of liberation. Yet the attitude of the Government of India as well as the state Government towards the migration problem is not appreciable. Even after many decades, the fencing of Indo-Bangladesh international Border has left incomplete.

 Human Migration, Cultural Identity and Ethnic Conflicts:

This issue of immigration has, in the long run, created problems in the region. The aboriginals or the indigenous peoples of the region have felt that they being alienated from their own land as a result of large scale immigration.  They further felt that the problem of continuous illegal migration has become a threat to the cultural identity of the indigenous people. This resulted into the mushrooming of extremist groups and the outbreak of several movements in the region for the protection and preservation of indigenous cultural identity.  Assam Movement and Bodoland Movement in Assam and tribal movements in Tripura may be mentioned in this regard. The main goals of the Assam Movement were: to detect, deport and disfranchise the foreign nationals from the electoral roll of Assam.[12] Similar were the main objectives of tribal movement in Tripura.

Ethnic Conflicts and Issues of Human Rights Violations:

Those movements in the long run, has resulted into large scale human rights violation in the region. During the Assam movement (1979-85), a minimum of 471 cases of bomb blasts were reported to the police where at least 101 people lost their life (Table-2).[13] On 18^th February 1983, over 1200 people (mostly women and children) were butchered to death at Nellie in Nagaon district of Assam.[14] Monirul Hussain has described this incident of Assam movement as “one of the largest and severest pogroms that contemporary world has recorded. It has only a few parallels in the post-second world war history”[15] Likewise, at least 1135 Bodo people had lost their life during the Bodoland movement from 1987-93.[16] More than 150,000 people were left homeless and had to settle down in different relief camps without government relief, rehabilitation and medical care. According to the report of ABSU to the then Prime Minister of India (V.P. Singh), over 200 Bodo inmates died out of starvation and another 93 Bodo inmates died due to lack of medical care in Gohpur (Assam) itself.[17]  In Tripura also, 1,300 people lost their lives, 3,77,048 were left 34,661 houses were burnt and 1,89,919 people were displaced as a result of tribal ethnic movements .[18] The violence of the riot was so brutal that even children were not spared.

Table-2: No of Bomb-blasts and number of death during 1979-84.

year	Number of blasts	Number of deaths
1979	4	0
1980	47	8
1981	81	5
1982	39	27
1983	259	55
1984	41	6
Total	471	101

Source: Monirul Hussain, The Assam Movement: Class, Ideology and Identity, Manas Publication, 1995.

Conclusion:

Migration has a close link with the cultural identity of a particular group of people. A large scale migration of people in a particular place brings pressure to the land of the indigenous people of the region. It leads to the problems of land alienation and as a result, may be treated as a threat to the socio-economic and cultural identity of the indigenous people. Large scale skilled and unskilled human migration in the North Eastern part of India was treated as a threat to the socio-economic and cultural identity of the people in the region and several movements were launched by different groups of community for the protection and preservation of their cultural identity which brought a large scale of human tragedies. Therefore, it is suggestive that the issue of migration should be tackled with utmost care for a peaceful future of the region. The fencing of India-Bangladesh International Border at the earliest is an important task to be completed by the Government of India and Bangladesh. This will bring a sense of security in the mind of indigenous people. Issuing of voter”s identity card to every eligible (for vote) citizen may also be helpful. Besides, the vote bank politics should be eliminated from the region. For this, all section of the people including the police personals as well as the administrators should put their hand together.

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End Notes:

[1] Assam before 1963 includes present Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal and Mizoram were separated from Assam in 1963, 1971, 1986 and 1986 respectively.

[2] Manirul Hussain, The Assam Movement: Class, Ideology and Identity, Manas Publication, 1995, P-47.

[3] Sanjib Baruah, “India Against Itself”, Oxford University Press, 2011 (reprint), p-46.

[4] Report on Illegal Migration into Assam Submitted to the President of India(K.R. Narayana) by the Governor of Assam (S.K. Sinha) on November8, 1998.

[5]  Sanjib Baruah, op. cit. p-51.

[6] Sanjib Baruah, op. cit., p-57.

[7] Anil Saikia, H Goswami and A Goswami, “Population Growth in Assam 1951-1991 with Focus on Migration”, Akansha Publishing House, New Delhi, 2003, p-114.

[8] Abu Nasar Saiied Ahmed, “Nationality Question in Assam: The EPW 1980-81 Debate”, Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Science and Development (Guwahati) and Akansha Publishing House, New Delhi, 2006, p-93.

[9] Ibid, p-93.

[10]  As Quoted in Sanjib Baruah”s “India Against Itself”, Oxford University Press, 2011 (reprint), p-50.

[11] Bijan Mohanta, Tripura since 1945, Progressive Publication, Calcutta, 2004, p-89.

[12] Monirul Hussain, op. cit, p-117.

[13].  Ibid, p-143.

[14]  Ibid, p-141.

[15] Ibid, p-141.

[16] K. Brahma, “Bodoland Movement and the Issues of Human Rights Violation” in K. Paul (Ed) “Human Rights: Contemporary Issues”, Avishek Printers & Publishers, Silchar (Assam), 2011, p-92.

[17] Ibid, p-91.

[18] Manas Paul, “The Eyewitness”, Lancer, New Delhi, 2009, p. 76.

References:

1.     Ahmed ,Abu Nasar Saiied: “Nationality Question in Assam: The EPW 1980-81 Debate”, Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Science and Development (Guwahati) and Akansha Publishing House, New Delhi, 2006, p-93.

2.     Baruah, Sanjib: “India Against Itself”, Oxford University Press, 2011 (reprint).

3.     Hussain, Manirul: The Assam Movement: Class, Ideology and Identity, Manas Publication, 1995.

4.     Mohanta, Bijan:  Tripura since 1945, Progressive Publication, Calcutta, 2004.

5.     Paul, K.  (Ed) “Human Rights: Contemporary Issues”, Avishek Printers & Publishers, Silchar (Assam), 2011.

6.     Paul, Manas: “The Eyewitness”, Lancer, New Delhi, 2009, p. 76.

7.     Report on Illegal Migration into Assam Submitted to the President of India (K.R. Narayana) by the Governor of Assam (S.K. Sinha) on November8, 1998.

8.     Saikia, Anil., Goswami H and Goswami, A: “Population Growth in Assam 1951-1991 with Focus on Migration”, Akansha Publishing House, New Delhi, 2003.

9.     World migration report,2010

         http://www.jcp.ge/iom/pdf/WMR_2010_ENGLISH.pdf

‘Bodoland Movement and the Issues of Human Rights Violation’

‘Our leaders say that we must have nuclear missiles to protect us from the threat of China and Pakistan. But who will protect us from ourselves?’       Arundhati Roy

Introduction:

        Every individual, by virtue of being a human inherits some basic rights and privileges. These rights we called human rights. These are inalienable and inherent in our nature. It can be broadly categorized into socio-economic and cultural rights, civil and political rights and group rights. Several numbers of laws and conventions were made by the states as well as the international organizations for the preservation and protection of these rights, but have not achieved any desirable success. One of the reasons for such human rights violation is the emergence of several social movements throughout the world.

      There is no consensus of opinion among the social scientists regarding the term ‘social movement’. Even this paper will not try to explore the meaning of social movement in details. However, for the convenience of the present study, the term social movement will be looked upon as ‘a deliberate and collective endeavour to promote change in any direction and by any means, not excluding violence, illegality, revolution or …...’[1] Objectives, ideology, programmes, leadership and organization are the important components of social movements. They are interdependent and influence each other.[2]  Bodoland movement which emerged in the 20^th century is a social movement in the true sense of the term because it involves the socio-economic as well as political changes.

 Bodoland Movement:

   The Bodos are one of the earliest inhabitants of Assam. They migrated to the north-eastern part of India at about 5000[3] BC in search of greener pasture and better living from central Asia such as China, Mongolia, Tibet and Siberia. Writing about Bodos Endle remarked ‘in feature and general appearance they approximate very closely to Mongolian type; and this would seem to point to Tibet and China as the original home of the race’[4]. With the passage of time and situation, they scattered in different parts of the region and acquired different tribe names.  In the Brahmaputra Valley they are known as Boros, in Tripura as Tripuris, in north Cachar as Dimasas and so on. They ruled Assam till 1854. In Tripura, they had their own Kingdom till 1949. But the situation has changed since then. Today, the Bodos of the Brahmaputra Valley apprehend that their socio-cultural and political identity is in threat under the dominance of the greater Assomiya nationalism.  

                  Here, it must be mentioned that a composite culture known as Assamese Culture was formed in the nineteenth century as well as in the early part of the twentieth century. But it could not last long. It collapsed as a result of the influence of the modern civilization and the chauvinist policies of the Assam government in the second half of the twentieth century[5]. Assam Official Language Act of 1960 and the movement for establishing Assamese as a Medium of instruction in all educational institution of Assam in 1972 can be mentioned in this regard. The process of the Bodoland movement started with the formation of Boro Chatra Sonmiloni in the year of 1919. The leaders of the organization felt that the identity of the Bodos is in threat in the midst of greater Assomiya nationalism. They created literatures in their own language and spread the message of their sufferings and deprivations. Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma, along with his friends submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1928-29 demanding a separate electorate for Bodos.  He also launched a socio-religious movement known as ‘Brahma Movement’ for bringing changes in the socio religious life of the Bodos.

                A drastic change was found in the process of the Bodoland movement when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced on 13^th January, 1967 that Assam would be reorganized on the basis of federal structure. As a response to this announcement, All Bodo Students Union was formed on 15^th February of 1967 and it was followed by the formation of Plains Tribal Council of Assam on 27^th February of the same year. Both ABSU and PTCA warmly welcomed the decision of the centre to reorganize Assam on federal structure. ‘The PTCA, for the first time submitted memorandum to the then President of India Dr. Jakir Hussain on the 20^th  May, 1967 at New Delhi for the creation of an ‘Autonomous Region’ for plains tribal people of Assam. The wave of demand of Autonomous Region gradually got momentum and thus Autonomous Region was upgraded to the demand of ‘Union Territory’ which was nomenclated as ‘UDAYACHAL’ on 7^th January, 1973.’[6] But misunderstanding developed between ABSU and PTCA when PTCA leaders announced on 4^th April 1977 that PTCA has given up the demand UDAYACHAL with the status of Union Territory and wanted to experiment with only an Autonomous Region within Assam.[7]

     Another milestone in the evolution of the Bodoland movement came under the leadership of Upendranath Brahma, the then president of ABSU. Under his leadership movement for separate Bodoland was launched on 2^nd March, 1987. They created a political wing of ABSU named Bodo Peoples Action Committee (BPAC) which supported the separate Bodoland movement. After several years of movement an agreement was signed on 20^th February, 1993 and Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) was created. But it failed to fulfill the aspirations of the Bodo people. BAC was created under the state Act and thus it existed at the mercy of State government.  It was also mentioned in the agreement that the large forest areas of Indo-Bhutan International border on which the Bodo people are dependant for their daily livelihood would not be included within BAC. Thus, another phase of the movement was launched in 1996 and another agreement was signed on10th February, 2003 and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was formed. But it also left the Bodo people unsatisfied as Bodo leaders felt that the identity, freedom and all round prosperity of the Bodos, for which the movement was launched, was not realized under BTC also.  Thus the Bodoland movement still continues. However, this paper will discuss only the Issues of Human Rights Violation during Bodoland Movement from 1987-1993. Before and after the above mentioned period will not include in the present study.

Issues of Human Rights Violation during Bodoland Movement:

      Social movements are launched basically to promote and protect basic human rights of the people.  But history has witnessed that it also brings several numbers of violation of rights of the people. Bodoland movement was launched to protect the land, culture, customs and traditions and ethnic identity of the Bodo people. With reference to the right to self determination of the Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR) they started movement for the internal self determination of the Bodos. But unfortunately, movement has brought untold sufferings to the people. Excessive police atrocities, mass raid, mass arrest and inhuman tortures were being triggered by the state government upon the ABSU activist and the supporters of the separate Bodoland movement belonging to both Bodo and non-Bodo community. Large number of Bodo women (ranging from minor girl to old women) became the victims of gangrape and molestation.

      Initially, the movement for separate Bodoland was a peaceful movement. But it became of violent nature because of the cruel treatment of the state government. In this regard, a quotation from the statement of the Pramila Rani Brahma, the then President of the All Tribal Women Welfare Federation is worth mentioning. She said, ‘Our movement is absolutely peaceful. Most of the violence is being perpetrated by the Assam police and by agents of Assam government. We are peace loving people and have stuck to non-violence despite grave provocations. How can you expect people to stay non-violent when their daughters are being raped and their near and dear ones are being tortured and shot death? I think you should comment the leadership of movement for continuing the agitation peacefully…..’[8]

   A Bodo student named Sujit Narzary was killed when some Assamese miscreants threw a stone on him at Tihu Chock on the 12^th June, 1987 while they were coming from a mass rally in Gauhaty. Another ABSU volunteer shri Subhas Basumatary had to lose one of his eyes due to that attack. Police forces shot death two ABSU volunteers viz. Kabiram Basumatary and Alendra Basumatary at Lailanpara in Darang district on the 9^th September, 1987. Again, Police shot death one ABSU volunteer Obiram Mushahary and seriously injured Shadev Brahma near Serfanguri in Kokrajhar district on the 25^th September, 1987.[9]  Such attacked on the innocent Bodo people became very common during the Bodoland movement.

     One of the darkest pages in the history of Bodoland movement is the incident at No. 12 Bhumka in Kokrajhar district of Assam. In their report to Amnesty International, Presidents of All Bodo Students Union and All Cachar-Karimganj Students Association stated that 9 (nine) Bodo Girls and one old woman at No. 12 Bhumka village in Kokrajhar district of Assam were gangraped by the Assam Police (AP) and Assam Police Task Force (APTF) on the nights of 25^th and 27^th January of 1988. In fact, rape by the police forces had become so much common during the Bodoland movement that Pramila Rani Brahma, the then President of ATWWF doubt if any Bodo dominated village has escaped the ravages.[10] 

    Another bloody incident occurred in the late 1989. At the patronage of the Assam government, some Assamese miscreants in connivance with the Assam police forces committed massacres at Gohpur in August and at Rangapara in May, 1989 under Sonitpur district, Simlaguri under Lakhimpur district in August, 1989, Kairabari, Bhakhatpara and Phaorupeta under Dorong district in August, 1989. In those incidents more than 300 innocent Bodo women and children were butchered and over 10,000 Bodo houses were burn down to ashes.[11] More than 15, 0000 Bodo people were settled in relief camps without government relief, rehabilitation and medical care.   According to the report of ABSU to the then Prime Minister of India (V.P. Singh), over 200 Bodo inmates died out of starvation and another 93 Bodo inmates died due to lack of medical care in Gohpur itself. However, there are differences of opinion regarding the number of victims in every incident. But there is no doubt that a huge number of people lost their life during the Bodoland movement.  According to the record of All Bodo Students Union, at least 1135 Bodo people had lost their life during the Bodoland movement from 1987-93.

    Controversial Acts like Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987, Assam Disturbed Areas Act, 1955 and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 were imposed in the Kokrajhar district of Assam where Bodoland movement was gaining its momentum[12]. Large number of the innocent people became the victim of fake encounter while many other were beaten brutally leading to the lost of their eyes, legs, hands and so on. Thousands of the innocent Bodo people were sent in jail and tortured there. But no compensation was made to the victims and their families.

      Atrocities in the name of enforcing law and order in the state still exist in Bodoland Territorial Council region of Assam. For a lasting peace in the region the root causes of the Bodoland movement must be explored and economic backwardness of the region should be addressed at the earliest.

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End Note:

[1] Ghanshyam Shah, ‘Social Movements in India: a Review of Literature’, Sage Publication, New Delhi, London,2009, P-19

[2] Ibid, p-20

[3] B. Kumar Basumatary, ‘Social Mobility: From Tribalism to Indianism: The Bodos: The Aboriginal people of Eastern India’. , Onsumoi Printers, Kokrajhar, 2008, P-3

[4]  Rev. Sydney Endle, ‘T he Kacharis’, Low Price Publications, Delhi-110052, 1997 P-3

[5]  B. Kumar Basumatary, , ‘Social Mobility: From Tribalism to Indianism: The Bodos: The Aboriginal people of Eastern India’. , Onsumoi Printers, Kokrajhar, 2008, P-235.

[6] All Bodo Students Union, ‘Why Separate State of Bodoland: Demand and Justifications’, p-22

[7]  Ibid, p-23

[8] Hira Charan Narzinary, ‘Reassertiveness of the Great Bodos’,   Calcutta-700009, 2000, Pp-95-96

[9]All Bodo Students Union, ‘Why Separate State of Bodoland: Demand and Justifications’, p-7

[10] Hira Charan Narzinary, : ‘Reassertiveness of the Great Bodos’,   Calcutta-700009, 2000, P-95.

[11]  Bidyasagar Narzary, ‘Upendranath Brahma: Jiu arw Sansri’, Chirang Publiication Board, Chirang, Assam, 2007, p-97.

[12] Bidyasagar Narzary, ‘Upendranath Brahma: Jiu arw Sansri’, Chirang Publiication Board, Chirang, Assam, 2007, p-107

Bibliography: 

1.      All Bodo Students Union, ‘Why Separate State of Bodoland: Demand and Justifications’,   Kokrajhar, Assam.

2.      All Bodo Students Union, ‘Devide Assam Fifty- Fifty’, Kokrajhar, Assam.

3.       Arundhati Roy, ’The Greater Common Good’, 1999.

4.      Basumatary, B. Kumar: ‘Social Mobility: From Tribalism to Indianism: The Bodos: The Aboriginal people of Eastern India’. , Onsumoi Printers, Kokrajhar, 2008.

5.      Endle, Rev. Sydney: ‘T he Kacharis’, Low Price Publications, Delhi-110052, 1997.

6.       Narzary,   Bidyasagar ‘Upendranath Brahma: Jiu arw Sansri’, Chirang Publiication Board, Chirang, Assam, 2007.

7.      Narzinary, Hira Charan: ‘Reassertiveness of the Great Bodos’,   Calcutta-700009, 2000.

8.      Shah, Ghanshyam, ‘Social Movements in India: a Review of Literature’, Sage Publication, New Delhi, London, 2009.