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The North East of India PDF

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Leverhulme International Network Continuity and Change in Indian Federalism Timeline Papers The North-East of India: Political Dynamics and Issues Eds. Harihar Bhattacharyya and Katharine Adeney Editorial Note on the Timeline Papers Professor Harihar Bhattacharyya, Burdwan University Professor Katharine Adeney, Nottingham University These eight full length research papers - one each from the eight states in the north-east of India - are based on both research and insider knowledge. They are written by scholars who are intimately familiar with the field and mostly based in the region. During the course of our three year-long detailed empirical survey research (2014-17) funded by the Leverhulme Trust UK, we commissioned these timeline papers as part of the research strand on ‘Ethnic Conflict Management in India’s North-east’. They are designed to help the readers place the elite interviews carried out as part of the project into context. In writing these timeline reports, each contributor was given a template to follow, which has given the papers a reasonable level of consistency. Since the states in the region have had different and complex (and often doubtful) trajectories of integration with the Union of India, each contributor was advised to address this issue within the timeline. Thus these timelines demonstrate the different state trajectories and how they have operated within India. We also advised the authors to reflect upon the current issues in the states with respect to the rise of ‘Hindu nationalism’ and its import in these States. The authors also were requested to reflect on the state specific context in India’s economic liberalization. 2 Harihar Bhattacharyya, Ph. D, LSE (London) is Professor of Political Science, the University of Burdwan, West Bengal (India). He was Baden-Wurrttemburg Fellow at the South Asia Institute (1998), Heidelberg University; DAAD Fellow at the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University (2007) and Visiting Professor at Heidelberg University (2009-10); M L Singhvi Fellow at Hull University, UK (2002); Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of Federalism, Fribourg, Switzerland (1998-99). He has published single authored/jointly edited 11 books, and more than 100 journal articles/book chapters. His single authored books include: (2010) Federalism in Asia: India, Pakistan and Malaysia (London: Routledge); (1999) Communism in Tripura (Delhi: Ajanta); and (2001) India as a Multicultural Federation etc (Fribourg: Switzerland). He published articles in India Review (2017)(USA) and Regional Federal Studies (UK) (2015), Economic and Political Weekly; and South Asia Research (London). His forthcoming books are: (2018) Radical Politics in India’s North East (London: Routledge), and (jointly with Subrata K Mitra) Politics and Governance in Indian States: Bihar, West Bengal and Tripura (Singapore: World Scientific, 2018). He has been engaged in global level collaborative researches since 1996 including those on policy studies, peacemaking, and constitution drafting. (email: grouping involving over 700 staff and 250 postgraduates from 18 different University centres/institutes. Jhumpa Mukherjee (Gold Medalist), PhD, is Assistant Professor of Political Science at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, under Calcutta University. She is the author of Conflict Resolution in Multicultural Societies: The Indian Experience (Sage 2014) and The World of Human Rights (Concept 2014). She has contributed chapters in edited books and has published articles on contemporary social and political issues in nationally and internationally acclaimed journals and has participated in national and international seminars. She supervised a project on the north east which was a part of the three year International Research project on Continuity and Change in Indian Federalism in the Age of Coalition Governments funded by the Leverhulme Trust, UK. She is an Advisory member of the Centre for Decentralization and Rural Development, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.. Her areas of research interest include federalism and regional movements in India, identity politics and human rights. Email: Rawat, New Delhi, 1999. He has edited, Making of the Union: Merger of Princely States and Excluded Areas with India, New Delhi, Akansha, 2007 Bridging Region and Nation: Essays in Honour of Prof Amalendu Guha: Professor Amalendu Guha Commemoration Volume, Primus, Delhi, 2017, Playing With Nature: Essays on Environmental History and Politics with special Reference to North East India, Manohar, Delhi, 2016, Force of Nature: Essays in Environmental history and Politics, Manohar, 2015 (email: Arunachal Pradesh: From NEFA to Statehood in Indian Federalism Jhumpa Mukherjee Geography and Demographics Arunachal Pradesh, India’s land of the rising sun, is acknowledged to be one of the most splendid, variegated and multilingual tribal areas of the world. It is a sparsely populated hilly tract lying on the extreme north-east of India comprising approximately 83,573 square kilometers. Among all the north east states, Arunachal Pradesh has the largest land area but, its population is 0.11 per cent of India’s population and only 2.85 per cent of the population of Northeast India. All the States of Northeast India, except Mizoram, have larger populations than that of Arunachal Pradesh. It is bordered by Bhutan on its west (160 km), the Tibet region of China on its northern and north east border (1080 km) and Myanmar (440km) on the eastern border and by Assam and Nagaland in the south. Located at the foothills of Himalayas, it has varied topography—snow capped mountains, innumerable rivers, rich vegetation and wild life. The Pradesh is known to be rich in flora, fauna, minerals and is acclaimed to be one of the most important biodiversity hotspot of the world. The majestic beauty of Arunachal can be seen in the way the great Brahmaputra river curves around the Himalayas, to enter Arunachal as the Siang. It meets the Lohit, another great river that originates in China, shortly after it moves into the plains; A number of big rivers like the Kameng, Subansiri and Dibang flow into the Brahmaputra; shaping out distinctive valleys to form the natural divisions that make up the hilly state. During the British colonial rule in India, the region was known as the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and constituted a part of the state of Assam. At the time of independence in 1947, the territory which comprises present day Arunachal Pradesh was under Part-B of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution as tribal areas within what constituted then Assam. It included Baliapara 6 Frontier Tract, Tirap frontier Tract, Abor Hills District, Mishmi Hills district and the Naga tribal 1 areas. Together, these districts were called the North-East Frontier Agency in 1951. Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood within Indian federalism on 20 February 1987. Mostly inhabited by tribal groups, Arunachal Pradesh is divided into 20 districts---Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, Papum Pare, Kurung Kumey, Kra Daadi, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, East Siang, Central Siang, Upper Siang, Upper Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Anjaw, Lohit, Nansai, Changlang, Tirap, Longding. Earlier Arunachal Pradesh comprised of 16 districts; however, the enactment of the Arunachal Pradesh (Re-Organization of Districts) (Amendment) Act, 2013, led to the creation of four new districts - Kra Daadi, Namsai, Siang and Lower Siang. Arunachal Pradesh is a multi linguistic, multi religious and multi ethnic state. According to the Census of 2011, Arunachal Pradesh has the population of 1.38 million. The density of population is 17 per sq km and sex ratio is 938 in 2011 as compared to 893 in 2001. The population density stands in sharp contrast to the all India population density of 382 people per square kilometer in the country. The rate of literacy as per the 2011 census is 65.38 %, an appreciable increase of 11 percent from the 2001census (54.34%) but far behind the national average of 74.04%. Arunachal is predominantly a tribal state. The State’s main ethnic communities, each having its own distinctive customs and cultural traditions, are: Abor, Aka, Apatani, Dafla, Galong , Khampti , Khowa , Mishmi, Idu, Taroan ,Momba , Sherdukpen , Singpho , Hrusso , Tagin , Khamba and Adi. These tribes have a lot of ethnic similarities but due to geographical isolation certain distinctive characteristics in terms of customs, dresses and traits have developed. Moreover different tribes follow different religions like the Monpas and Sherdukpens follow Buddhism, Adis, Akas, Nishing, Apatanis, Mishmis, Tangsas worship sun and moon as their 2 God, the Noctes practice Vaishnavism. The total Scheduled Tribe population of the State, according to the Census of 2011, is 95,1821 which is 68.8% (in 2001 census the ST population was 64,2% of the total population, thus a marginal increase in population). Being multilinguistic the different tribes speak myriad languages and dialects and possibly 30-50 distinct languages and dialects and most of them belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family like Nyishi, Dafla, Miji, Adi, Gallong,Wancho, Tagin, Hill Miri, Mishul, Mohpa, Nocte, Aka, 3 Tangsa, Khamti. A considerable number of Assamese and Nepali speakers can also be found. Most languages do not have a script of their own and use either the Roman script or the Assamese script. In such a sparsely populated state, six different scripts are in use – Assamese, Devanagri, Hingna, Mon, Roman, and Tibetan. English is the official language of the state. th The 50 Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India (2012-2013) states that because of the existence of large number of linguistic minorities (the Census of 2001 identified 1 http://arunachalpradesh.gov.in/rural/html/glance.htm 2 http://arunachalpradesh.gov.in/rural/html/glance.htm 3 http://mdoner.gov.in/content/arunachal-pradesh-2 7 the following linguistic minorities in the state: Nissi/Dafla (18.97%), Adi (17.6%), Bengali (8.85%), Nepali (8.64%), Hindi (7.39%), the State government is advised to take effective policy measures for promotion and protection of linguistic minorities. The State Government should ensure translation and publication of Rules, Regulations, Notices, etc. in the relevant minority languages for the benefit of linguistic minorities where the speakers constitute 15 percent or more of the District/Tehsil/ Taluka/Municipality population. The Commission, however, expressed its anguish at the non availability of response on behalf of the state of 4 Arunachal Pradesh regarding measures taken for them. The state is multi-religious, with Christian followers slightly higher than the Hindus. Many of the tribes practice animism. Table1: Major Religions Religion Percentage of followers Christian 30.26% Hindu 29.04% Muslim 1.95% Sikh 0.24% Buddhist 11.77% Jain 0.06% Other Religions 26.20% Census of India 2011 Most popular is Donyi Polo which involves the worship of the sun and the moon. Over the years there has been a fast decline of tribal indigenous faith. According to the 1981 census, the State had 51.6% Donyi Polo followers which have come down to 26.20% in 2011. A large number of the tribal communities practicing indigenous faith have converted to Christianity. In 2001 Christianity was followed by only 18.7 % but in 2011 Christianity believers increased to 30.26%. One of the possible reasons for this conversion to Christianity, as said by the new 5 converts, is to “escape from elaborate expensive pujas that Donyi Polo priests demand”. Ethnic Composition The state is inhabited by a number of tribes and sub-tribes having their own distinct languages and dialects, belonging mostly to the Tibeto-Burmese language family. The tribes have been 4 th 50 Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India (2012-2013) http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf 5 Hindustan Times, Nov. 18, 2016. 8 residing here for centuries and have their own unique culture, traditions and follow their own customary laws and dispute-resolution mechanisms, which, to our greatest surprise, are highly democratic in nature. The principal tribes are Adis, Nishi, Apatani, Tagin, Mismi, Khampti, Noite, Wancho, Tangsha, Singpho, Monpa, Sherdukpen and Aka. These tribes speak their own tongues. The tribal population believed in varied cultural ideals, for instance, the Daflas, Bangnis, the Monpas were influenced by Buddhist ideals. The Miri along with the Daflas and Tagin lived in the hills. The Apatanis were believed to be more advanced. They were agriculturists. Besides this the Abor who called themselves as Adi lived in the valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Besides them, the Membas, Ramos and Boris formed minor groups. The Mishmis exists as Idus, Taraons, and Kamans. They excelled in handicrafts. The Adis are the major group of tribes inhabiting the West Siang district. The different sub tribes groups of the Adis are Gallong, Janbe, Karka, Memba, Ashing, Bori, Bogum, Bagi, Pailibo, Minyong etc. In the Adi society descent is traced through the father and the property devolves on the male line and the children belong to the father’s clan. The elder son generally set up their separate house-holds even while the father is alive though on principle. They have equal shares on the parents property. They do not dispute with the youngest brother who stays with the parents and inherits the ancestral house by common consent. The Adis by nature are democratic and have a unique sense of history. They have well organized village council called 'Kebang'. The Nishis, one of the major tribes of Arunachal Pradesh inhabiting in East Kameng, Papum Pare,Lower Subansiri, Kurung Kumey districts of Arunachal Pradesh, belong to the Indo- 6 Mongoloid group. The nishis speak the Nyishi language which belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family. They are primarily agriculturalists and practice jhoom cultivation. They are believers of the Donyi-Polo faith, a religion which commemorates their ancestors. The Apatanis belong to the Tibeto-Mongoloid stock. They draw their lineage from the patriarchal side. They are divided into two classes---the Gyuchii and the Gyutti who do not intermarry. The Apatanis are agriculturalists but unlike the Nyishsis , they practice permanent type of cultivation. They are governed by traditional village councils consisting of one or two Buliyang representative from each clan whose position is hereditary. The Mishmis live along the valleys of the Debang and Luhit rivers. Each family group is autonomous and they draw their descent through the paternal line. The Khampti are found in the Sagaing division and they are followers of Theravada 7 Buddhism. They are divided into classes, each signifying a distinct status in the social hierarchy. Table 2: Population of Major STs census of India 2001 Sl.No. Name of the ST Population returned in 2001 census 6 arunachal.adivasi.in 7 arunachal.adivasi.in 9 1 All Scheduled Tribes 705,158 2 Abor 19,927 3 Adi 32,582 4 Adi Gallong 48,126 5 Adi Minyong 33,984 6 Adi Padam 11,625 7 Aka 5,140 8 Any Naga Tribes 6,978 9 Apatani 27,576 10 Bangni 7,870 11 Dafla 45,276 12 Deori 5,693 13 Galong 27,239 14 Idu/Chulikata Mishmi 9,350 15 Khampti 12,890 16 Miji 5,721 17 Mishing/Miri 13,591 18 Mishmi 25,161 9 Monpa 41,983 20 Nishang 21,907 21 Nissi 87,656 22 Nocte 33,680 23 Tagin 39,091 24 Tangsa 20,962 25 Tawang Monpa 7,500 26 Wancho 47,788 Source: Census of India 2001 10

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