Write a note on the politics of immigration in Assam after independence
Answers
Assam was ruled by the Ahom dynasty for at least 400 years before it was conquered by the British in 1826 [2]. The first significant migration into Assam was in the middle of the 19th century. Tribals from Southern Bihar moved to Assam to work in the tea plantations as the local Assamese did not want to leave their own farm lands. Bengali Hindus also came in to take up administrative positions. The 1900s saw an influx of Bengali Muslims who cleared forest areas and lowlands of Brahmaputra for agriculture. This influx continued through till independence and after.
There was a steady inflow of Bengali Muslims from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the first two decades of independence. There was also migration from other states in India to Assam. In 1971, when the Pakistan army launched a vicious campaign against Bangladeshi nationalists, many citizens fled the country and came to India. A significant portion came to Assam and it is not clear how many went back.