Is Assam’s New Protected List in ‘Tirap Belt’ Against the Interest of Micro Tribes?

“It was in 1950 when the great earthquake tore Assam badly, resulting in concomitant flood that 509 Nepali families from Sadiya were settled in the ‘Tirap Tribal Belt’ in a government initiative“—a historical event that the tribal leaders of present-day Tirap Tribal Belt trace as the reason for demographic change in the belt. 

Kahoto Sema, president of All Assam Sema Naga Council, once told that the then Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur, as Tinsukia district was yet to be carved out, requested the community heads of the aboriginal tribes like Sema Naga, Tnagsa Naga and Singpho to accept the Neplai families of Sadiya in distress. “Initially, the tribes’ leaders denied the DC’s proposal, fearing a threat to their space. However, they were benevolent to the Nepali families as they were in real distress due to the wrath created by the Earthquake.

The Singpho Roja (king) proposed that the government would provide some quintals of rice to the families,”—Mr. Sema recalled what he knows as the historical facts, adding—“However, with assurance from the government that the settlers will be there temporarily only till the government manages a suitable accommodation for them elsewhere, the tribal chiefs agreed to their 'temporary settlement' inside the Tirap Belt.”

Not only Kahoto Sema, these issues as historical facts of demographic change in the Tirap Belt is also advocated by others that not only confines to the Nepali community, but other communities as well. 

Pallab Shyam Wailung, the general secretary of the Tirap Autonomous District Council Demand Committee putting similar views, said—“the aboriginal tribes like the Singphos, Tangsas, Semas, Tikhaks, Khamtis, Khameyangs, Phakes, Mech Kacharis etc. have become pauperized strangers in their own land. The situation has become so bad that the micro tribes are devoid of any rights now in the Tirap Belt, where they were the original inhabitants. This has happened due to decades-long migration of the people from the non-protected class to here.”

Created In 1951, The Aboriginal Tribes’ Long Wait For Protection In Tirap Belt 

At the time of British Colonial rule in 1943, the Tirap Frontier tract was created with Head Quarter at Margherita; for the protection of indigenous Tribal communities like as Singpho, Tangsa, Sema, Khamti, Khamyang, Phakey, Turung and Aiton.

Post independence, The Government of Assam notified Tirap Frontier Tract (T.F.T) as Tirap Tribal Belt on 13th March 1951, TAD/R73/50/43 aiming to protect the Tribal communities and their land. 

However, the saga of depriving continued for over half a century with the successive governments turning deaf ears to their concern. There have been cases of alleged illegal land grabbing that belonged to Singpho clan chief at Kotha village near Jagun as in many other places. People allege that no investigation has been able to deliver justice to their cases. 

A well-crafted boundary and an autonomous council for the Tirap Belt have been longstanding demands of the aboriginal tribes in Tinsukia district of Assam. A recent cabinet decision of the Assam government has agitated the micro tribes. They now believe that the new Cabinet decision where seven communities have been notified as ‘Protected Classes’ in the Tirap Tribal Belt will further put their identity in crisis, let alone protecting them. These seven communities are Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia, Gorkha, Tea Garden and Adivasi groups. 

From Exclusion to Reinclusion: Nepalis Removed in 1969, Reinstated in 1996

Professor Chandan Sharma, an eminent researcher on tribals of Assam and professor of Sociology Department at Tezpur University, commenting on the gravity of the issue, told Pratidin Time—“Many tribal groups other than Nepalis have also migrated to the Tirap area.”

“According to the tribal Belt regulations, they are not eligible to get the benefits as a notified class there. Only the original tribal groups are eligible for such benefits.”

Terming the situation in Tirap Belt serious, Prof. Sharma said, “The common misunderstanding about tribal belts is that they are only meant for the protection of the tribal groups, although that was the primary aim. In fact they provide legal protection to various other groups, including the Nepali graziers (called notified or protected classes) who inhabited these areas before the coming of the tribal belts.”

“Subsequently, the number of Nepalis kept on increasing mainly due to migration. Even if the later migrants do not come under the protected class, there are various ways in which they exploit the provisions of the tribal belt system to their advantage. This has created great pressure on the smaller tribal communities in terms of protection of their habitat and livelihood, and political and cultural rights. This problem is expected to get accentuated by recent developments.”

He informed that the Nepalis were removed from the protected list in 1969. But we were reincluded in 1996.

Jagun protest: A Renewed Uprising?

On 4th August, a massive protest against the Cabinet decision took place on the roads of Jagun that ended in the form of blocking the National Highway 315 for several hours. Reportedly, many thousands participated in the protest, which is a clear sign of the level of upset that the latest cabinet decision had inflicted amongst the aboriginal tribes of Tirap Belt.

But, what exactly they are protesting against? Or rather, what has deepened their decades-long sense of insecurity?

The protest was organized by All Assam Tribal Sangha and other 11 organizations. As an organizer of the protest, Pallab Shyam Wailung told Pratidin Time—“This new decision has threatened the existence of the micro tribes of the belt. Now the Gorkhas are brought under the protected class, whereas the Nepali graziers are already declared protected. This is brazenly counter productive for the aboriginal tribes residing for ages in the Tirap belt.”

“There will be around 400 families of Koch Rajbongshis, while the Moran and Mataks don’t have any specific village, meaning their population is scattered. The ahoms were given place by the Singphos”—Wailung added. 

The protesters want justice under chapter 10 of the ALRR (Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act, 1886), which pertains to safeguard land rights of tribal communities in Assam in areas deemed vulnerable. 

Memorandum To President, PM, Governor & Union tribal Affairs Minister

Representatives of 15 organizations that represent the micro tribes, in addition to the protest, has written a memorandum addressing to the President, Prime Minister and Union Tribal Affairs Minister of India as well as to the Governor of Assam demanding repeal of the cabinet decision terming it a violation of constitutional norm. 
“Strong public demand to cancel the inclusion of Ahom, Matak, Moran, Chutia, Gorkha, Tea Garden, and Adivasi groups under the guise of "Gorkha" in the protected category status in the Tirap Tribal Belt, protected under the Bengal Eastern Regulation 1873 and the Assam Land Revenue Regulation Act, 1886 by the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Assam, Dispur – 781006”—the memorandum reads.

It also states that the recent decision “will exterminate the backward and illiterate poor Tribal people belonging to Singpho Tribe, Khamti Tribe, Tai-Phake ,Tangsa Naga, Sema Naga, Sonowal Kachari, Mising, Deori, Mech-Kachari, Rabha, Hajong, Bodo,etc. Specially for good in the Tribal Belt, Margherita Sub-division, in the interests of Tribal people.”

The memorandum appeals “to exclude the non-tribal people mentioned above from the Tirap Tribal Belt under the Bengal Eastern Regulation 1873 soon to protect the aboriginal Tribal people of Tirap Tribal Belt, as the matter is Seventh Scheduled Subject and illegal one as the violation of Article 342 of the Constitution of India.”

Also Read: Ensuring Indigenous Rights: Tribal Organizations Join Hand To Protect ‘Tirap Tribal Belt’