IDENTITY POLITICS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGE OF THE BODOS OF ASSAM

Abstract

Assam is the land of habitant of different ethnic communities like Karbis, Missings, Bodos, Garos, Aadibasis, Dimasas, Kochs, Rajbongshis and many other. Among them Bodos are one of the major ethnic community and regarded as the Scheduled Tribes (Plains) in Assam. They have a strong historical background and also called the early settlers of Assam. The Bodos are struggling for their identity and for that they demand a separate and independent state. The demands of the Bodos are partially achieved with the creation of Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) in 1993 and Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) in 2003. But the movement for the creation of a separate state is still going on and on other hand the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has also been struggling for an independent or sovereign state.

On the basis of the Bodo identity demand, the paper seeks to examine the historical background of the Bodos, their socio-economic development and changing political scenario.