A National Seminar on “THE CHUTIAS OF ASSAM: HISTORY, ETHNICITY AND IDENTITY POLITICS”

Organised by:

Department of Political Science, BSSRV

In Collaboration with:

INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE CELL(IQAC), BSSRV

The Chutias of Assam have endured a prolonged silence in the academic and political discourse about their magnificent and catastrophic past as well as their current status in the social, political, cultural and economic landscapes of Assam. The Chutias of Assam once established a prominent kingdom in the easternmost sentinel of Assam during the 12th century and had continued their dominance in the entire 'upper' Assam prior to the rise of the Ahom Kingdom. However, its decay was so enormous and ceaseless that lost its glory, unique cultural identity and ethnic existence in the beginning of the 20th Century. During the colonial period, recognising the socio-economic backwardness of the Chutias, the British proposed to include them within the Schedule Caste category. But, it never happened due to the resistance of the leaders of Chutia Jati Sanmilan, Assam; which was formed in April 1925 to address various issues of the Chutias of Assam. The community leaders had a reasonable fear of adopting an identity associated with social backwardness in the highly caste-based society of Assam. The socio-economic conditions of the Chutias worsened during the post-independent era as they were not granted constitutional benefits especially designed for the reserved category and faced social exclusion from the caste Hindu groups. Consequently, a number of pressure groups within the Chutia community emerged and started demanding for its inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category. At present, the Chutias of Assam are going through a wide range of issues that deserve adequate attention; protection of their cultural and ethnic identity, preservation of the archaeological sites of the erstwhile Chutia Kingdom and the pressing necessity for appropriate political representation both at regional and national level. At this critical juncture, this seminar makes a sincere effort to provide an opportunity for the researchers to explore various issues associated with the history, ethnicity and political identity of the Chutias. It aims to unfold the experiences of the researchers in studying the history of Chutia through rare and highly perplexing historical sources. The issues associated with ethnicity such as origin, cultural commonality, religious belief, language, traditions have been included as the distinctive areas of research in this seminar. Additionally, this seminar will also inspire young minds to enquire about the context that led to the emergence of various pressure groups among the Chutias, their demands, and their relevance in the current political landscape of Assam and India.