Tribes Castes and Development: A Socio-Economic Study of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Assam

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Like many parts of India, Assam is well known as the land of varied castes and tribes since times immemorial. The people and their mode of life in different periods of history moulded varied social, cultural and economic traits in Assam. The social, cultural and economic landscape of the state is very much unique with assimilation and association of different community. People of the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are more interested in maintaining social peace and harmony in Assam. There exists a very significant difference regarding demographic and socio- economic patterns of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes people with those in other parts of the country. The present study is an attempt to discuss about the different socio-economic aspects and demographic patterns of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes with particular reference to Sivasagar district of Assam.

KRISHNA JYOTI HANDIQUE (b. 1970) obtained his M.A. degree from Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh in 1995. He received his Ph.D. from the same University in 2008. He is currently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, Gargaon College, Simaluguri. He is also presently working as the Director in the Gandhian Studies Centre in the same college. He is the founder Chief Editor of Social Science Journal of Gargaon College. He has written /edited 14 books and 69 research papers /articles. He is a life member of the North East India History Association, North Eastern Economic Association and Indian Economic Association.

A ssam is well-known as the land of varied tribes and castes. Like many parts of the country, the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste people have been living since times immemorial in the state. The people of Assam can be divided broadly into tribal and non-tribal categories. The non-tribal category is included into three major groups such as the General Caste, the Scheduled Castes and the Other Backward Classes. The castes. in Assam have begun to be recognized in official records since 1872. The Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes people are no longer left in isolation anywhere of modern civilization and so change in their social, economic and political life also have taken place rapidly after 1947 in Assam. The total population of Assam was 26,655,528 as per the census of 2001. The Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes population were 12.4 per cent and 6.9 per cent respectively in 2001 of total population of Assam. The population figure for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes in Assam were 38,84,371 and 22,31,321 respectively as per census 2011. The population of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes to total population is the highest in Kokrajhar and Cachar districts of Assam. As per the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes list modification order 1956, total number of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are 27 and 16 respectively in Assam. The people and their mode of life in different period of history moulded varied cultural traits in the state. The cultural landscape of the state is very much colourful with assimilation and association of different races. The Konyak Nagas, Deoris, Sonowal Kachari, Mishing, Bodos etc. are major tribes in Assam. The Kaibartas are spread over the entire state. Kaibartas have been included among the Scheduled Castes in the Constitution of India. People of both the communities are more interested to maintain social peace and harmony. With the expansion of education between the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and facilities provided both by the central and state government to members of the two communities, they have moved away more or less from their traditional socio-economic life style in Assam.

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