People of North-East India

Abstract

The population of North-East India is formed of several racial stocks, principally, the Mongoloids, the Indo-Aryans, the Australoids or Austric and the Dravidians, the last being a very minor group represented by some immigrant population. While the original settlers were the Mongoloids, the Indo-Aryan and other groups arrived later. There is undoubtedly a dominance of Mongoloid element in the population of North-East India. Besides the racial differences, there is a tribal–nontribal duality recognised by the Constitution of India to secure certain benefits to the tribal community, to enable them to catch up with the rest of the society, in educational attainment and the level of living. Most of the tribes or tribal communities are concentrated in the hilly states of Arunachal Pradesh; Nagaland; Manipur; Mizoram, on Myanmar border; and Meghalaya, sandwiched between Assam and Bangladesh. While the tribes of Arunachal migrated to this region at a very early date, the arrival of the Nagas, Kukis and Mizos in their present habitat is relatively recent. Most of the indigenous people of North-East India have embraced Christianity, transforming the social ethos and cultural practices of the Nagas, the Mizos, the Khasi and the Garos. The Bodos, the largest tribal group of the region and largely confined to Assam, have adopted Hinduism and are known by different names like Bodos, Kacharis and Mechs. Some who came under the influence of the Royal Koch dynasty call themselves ‘Rajbanshis’, meaning people having royal lineage. The Kukis of Manipur and Tripurs of Tripura are other important tribal groups.

The nontribal component of the population, which constitutes over 70 % of the population of North-East India, is confined to Assam, Manipur and Tripura. In all these states nontribal population is more than percent; and in Assam, the most densely peopled state of North-East India, 88 % of the population falls in nontribal category. The Assamese society consists of people following different faiths, though a large majority follows Hinduisms. They speak Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language, which has its own script and a rich literature. The Assamese culture has syncretised a culture that has derived multiple elements from neighbouring societies or pre-existing cultures. The caste system is not universal as in other Hindu societies and, to that extent, Assamese are far more progressive.