IDENTITY POLITICS IN NORTH EAST INDIA: A STUDY OF THE DIMASA AUTONOMY MOVEMENT

Abstract

The ‘Dimasas’ are the Ethno-linguistic-community inhabited in the states of Assam and Nagaland of Northeast India. In Assam Dimasas are inhabiting in Dima Hasao District (then North Cachar Hills district), Hojai and Lanka areas of Nagaon District, and Diphu, Dhansiri, Manja, Longnit and Howraghat areas of Karbi Anglong District. In Nagaland they inhabited in Dhansiripar, Dimapur and some other places in a small number. Dimasas are belonging to the Bodo - Garo group within the Bodo-Jingpho-Konyak branch of Tibeto-Burman (Lewis 2009). Before the introduction of the Sixth Schedule to the constitution of N.C Hills, the Dimasas were not aware of national political situations. During 1961 census they were classified as a separate tribe but earlier they were considered as a sub-tribe of the Kachari Tribe. Though living in isolation spread over large tract of Assam & Nagaland; the Dimasas had an instinct sense of Pan-Dimasa identity. They also demanded the protection of identity and cultural life of the Dimasa tribe. The Tribal Council also demanded that only the authentic inhabitants of the Hill areas should be permitted to participate in the politics of the N.C. Hills (present Dima Hasao) and the Laws of the Parliament and of the Assam State Legislature could only be applied to the Hill areas with the approval of the MLAs of the Hills concerned. This is the first vocal political assertion of the identity consciousness of the Dimasas along with others. In the initial stage, their Identity movement was along with the Karbi movement who fought together for the Autonomous status till 1976. During the Autonomy Movement led by the Karbis and the Dimasas of the two hill districts of Assam led with the joint venture during eighties and nineties. A section of the Dimasas continued their movement demanding for autonomy and separation which was led by the Dimasa organisations like the Dima Halum Dauga (DHD), DHD (J), DHD (D) and DNLA. All these demands and the movements for autonomy of the Dimasas are the movements for identity assertion and identity politics of their own.