ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

Identity Assertion among the Bodo: An Analysis from Relative Deprivation Perspective

Bodo is the largest plain tribe of Assam, a state of North East India. Historically they inhabited in the whole North Eastern part of India and even established Kachari kingdom in a greater part of Assam. However during Ahom rule this bodo community sidelined from the power politics and scattered in different parts of lower Assam assimilating with the greater Assamese nationality. After independence of India, the nation building process started through a large ethno cultural and religious perspective. But this nation building process failed to address the problems of plain tribes of north east India. As a result, Bodo, the largest plain community felt a kind of relative deprivation compared to the hill tribes of North East India who got constitutional safeguard through Sixth Schedule, a special administrative measure of constitution designed to provide autonomy to the hill tribes .This led to development of a kind of insecurity among the middle class of the bodo and they tried to organize themselves to protect their language, culture and glorified past history. Thus the feeling of bodo nationality grew among the bodo and they started a movement for their own homeland.