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93-619: Udalguri district (Pron:ˌʊdʌlˈgʊəri), also known as Odalguri, is a district in the Bodoland Territorial Region of the state of Assam in Northeastern India . Udalguri town is the headquarters of the district. The name Udalguri, denotes a place surrounding the Udal tree (Udal, meaning a tree and Guri meaning surrounding area). Some authors are of the opinion that the name of the place became Udalguri as there

186-542: A boy was flogged to death because he did not salute the European manager. The most notorious incident was a shooting in which a tea garden labourer was killed by the European planter of the Kharial Tea Estate of Cachar in 1921 after refusing to provide his daughter as a concubine to the planter for a night. Facing such atrocities, many tea garden labourers often become insane. Many such sufferers were confined in

279-520: A cabinet of 14 executive members each looking after a specific area of control. The Bodoland region is made up of five districts which are further subdivided into 10 Civil Subdivisions and 40 Development Blocks. The area and population of these districts has been estimated as follows: Under the terms of a peace agreement signed in January 2020, new districts will be created with the existing four districts reorganised into seven districts. The area of

372-467: A derogatory term by the community. In these barracks, each tea garden labourer had barely twenty-five square feet of area for their personal use. Many of the tea gardens insisted on a morning muster of the labours. They were not allowed to remain absent in their duty for a single day even when they were unwell. The labourers did not enjoy any personal freedom at all, and were even forbidden to meet labourers working at other tea gardens. Prior permission from

465-590: A part of Bhutan , this region came under the control of Koch king Vishwa Singha in the early 16th century. Around 1562, the successor king Nara Narayan determined that the Meches and Koches peoples north of the newly constructed Gohain Kamal Ali could follow their indigenous customs whereas peoples to its south had to follow Hindu Brahmanical rites. After the split of the Koch kingdom and subsequent collapse of

558-603: A punishment for their uprising against the regime ( Santhal rebellion of the 1850s and Birsa Munda Rebellion of 1899–1900). The community dominates the districts of a significant portion of Upper Assam , including Sonitpur , due to the high density of tea gardens and plantations in this region. Districts of North Lakhimpur , Darrang , Golaghat district , Charaideo district , Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) areas, Dhubri district , Barak Valley areas, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas, and North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NC Hills) areas of Assam also have

651-550: A result. Nearly one million are now Christians in the state. Kurukh , Santhals , Kharia and Mundas are among the major tribes who have been mostly converted by the Christian missionaries. Catholicism and Protestantism are the major denominations among Adivasi Christians. Festivals are an important part of their lives and are generally deeply connected to their religion and their culture. They celebrate many festivals during different seasons. Almost every major Hindu festival

744-428: A revolt across the tea garden regions of Rangapara in 1915 and was publicly hanged at Phulbari T.E (near Rangapara) by colonial authorities in 1916. Malati Mem, alias "Mangri" Oraon of Tezpur Ghogara TE (near Tezpur), became the first ever woman martyr of Assam in 1921. She was killed by colonial police while participating in the non-cooperation movement . The names of these tea garden labourers never got any importance in

837-519: A significant population of the community. They form nearly 11% and 6.2% of the total population in the Barak Valley region and BTR region respectively. According to the 1921 census, total population of tea garden community was 1,220,808, among whom the prominent groups were Munda (149,851), Pan (92,353), Santal (78,736), Gond (50,960), and Oraon (39,739). In the 1951 estimate, their population stood at 1,583,457, forming around 20 percent of

930-687: A slight majority. Bodoland will also have the right to autonomously be represented at national level sports and cultural events such as the National Games of India and the Khelo India Youth Games . The agreement also makes the Bodo language with Devnagri script an associate official language of Assam. The region is administered by an elected body known as the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) which

1023-1046: Is 3.2 million out which the ST population is around 38% of which only 3% of the total population live in urban areas. The average density of the population in BTC is 326 per Sq.K.m. compared to 340 per Sq.K.m. of Assam. Amongst the ST/SC population Bodos, and others Indigenous tribes like Rabha, Sarania-Kachari, Modahi-Kachari and less quantity of Assamese speaking SC caste Kaibarta, Hira, Bania are inhabiting in this area. The other ethnic groups like Kamatapuri speaking Koch-Rajbanshi, Nath-Jogi, Kalita, Sutradhar are inhabiting in large part of BTC. Adivasi communities including Santhal , Oraon etc. are also available in sizeable numbers. Moreover, other general communities like ethnic Assamese Muslim like Garia, Maria and Deshi(Uzani) and large number of Bengali speaking Miya Muslim and Bengali Hindu people, Gorkha and few numbers of Hindi speaking people are also found in

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1116-410: Is a forest-grown entirely by local JFMC of 35 members with the help of Forest department of Assam. Spread across more than 6 km , the forest contains more than 1.4 million plus trees of over 35 varieties. A number of animals, birds and reptiles can also be spotted in the area. Visitors can trek through the trail in the forest and stay the night in their guest house. Baukungri hill trekking

1209-461: Is also a presence of sizeable Nepali speaking Gorkha community with estimated 5% of the district's population thinly scattered across the Udalguri district. Hindus are the largest group in the district, making up 612,425 which is 73.64% of the population. There are also 110,215 Christians (13.25%) and 108,319 Muslims (12.66%) in the district. Languages of Udalguri district (2011) According to

1302-651: Is an autonomous division in Assam , India , and a proposed state in Northeast India . It is made up of five districts on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River below the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh . It is administered by an elected body known as the Bodoland Territorial Council which came into existence under the terms of a peace agreement signed in February 2003 and its autonomy

1395-591: Is an adventurous event held annually in Kokrajhar , Bodoland Territorial Council . It is organised every year on first day of the year according to the Bodo calendar which falls in mid April. Religions in Bodoland (2011) Bodos constitute the largest Tribal group in the region numbering around 1.2 million (31.5%) followed by Bangla-speaking Miya people , who form the largest minority group as per 2011 Census. The population of BTC area as per 2011 Census report

1488-552: Is being denied to them in Assam although in other states of India their counterparts fully enjoy that status. The community is composed of many large tribes like Munda , Santhal , Kurukh ( Oraon ), Gonds , Bhumij and dozen others who are being denied Scheduled Tribe status. These tribal call themselves " Adivasi ". This has given rise to identity politics among these people and different political parties are banking on this issue to get votes for decades during elections. Now some of

1581-410: Is celebrated by the community, with Christians celebrating Christian festivals. Major festivals celebrated by the community are Fagua , Karam (festival) , Jitia , Sohrai , Mage Parab , Baha parab , Tusu Puja , Sarhul , Nawakhani / Nuakhai , Lakhi puja , Manasa Puja, Durga puja , Diwali , Good Friday , Easter and Christmas . Music is an important component of the community. Their music

1674-593: Is in the Northwestern part of Assam. Kokrajhar town the Administrative Head Quarter lies roughly between 26° 25' N latitude and 90° 16' 38'' E Longitude. Its strategic location is blessed with beautiful forests full of flora and fauna. The economy is largely agricultural based and is lagging behind in urbanization and development. The region is industrially backward with most of its population depending on agriculture for livelihood. Most of

1767-814: Is minimal and animistic Shaktism dominates in religious practices. The ancient tribal religion Sarnaism is also deeply rooted among a sizeable section of tea garden workers. They believe in a universal supreme God and worship him/her in different names like Marangburu, Mahadeo, and Singboga. Vaishnavism is also steadily gaining footholds among a section of the Hindu population of the community. They are very religious-minded people and love to worship nature. Many trees are considered sacred and are worshipped. Nearly every village has religious temples and sacred ground (jaher than) for community worship. However, increasing conversions into Christianity have led many of them into adopting Christianity and many churches have been built as

1860-567: Is not only a significant National Park of India but also an important migratory corridor for the elephant population of the entire Indo-Bhutan region. Manas is also included in the much ambitious plan nomenclature as Indian Rhino Vision −2020 (IRV-2020) since 2006, with the support of Govt. of Assam in collaboration with Wildlife Trust of India, (WTI) , Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF-India, International Rhino Foundation , and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Situated in Udalguri 's Bhairabkunda , it

1953-402: Is often called Assam Sadri or Bagania bhasa. However, with a steady rise in literacy levels, newer generations of those multilingual ethnic groups are becoming fluent in standard Hindi , Assamese , and English . The Tea garden communities of Assam are undergoing a language shift due to different socio-cultural and linguistic environments compared to their native states. Various groups within

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2046-402: Is the only sector where the majority of the workers are female. About one million labourers are dependent on Assam's tea industry and almost all of them are the descendants of those who were brought to Assam as labourers by East India Company, mostly from Jharkhand and Orissa. The sacrifice, toil and hard work of these labourers gave shape to the tea industry of Assam. However, the story behind

2139-439: Is usually collectively performed for a variety of occasions like weddings, festivals, the arrival of seasons, ushering-in of new life, and harvests. The community is rich in a variety of music and dances. Through the folk music and dance, they try to convey their perspective on social issues and define their daily lifestyles and their history. Dhols , Manjiras , Madars, Kartals, Tamaks, Nagaras, Nishans, and Bansuris are some of

2232-751: The Bodos and Ravas . and also to weave their dyed silk in the villages, the final product was later sold in Monpa villages in present Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet. Under the Darrang Raja, an officer named Guntia Baruah was appointed to manage the transaction with the Bhutias who handed it over to the Borphukan at Guwahati , the Bhutias appointed Dzongpon to do the same. According to Bhutanese chronicles,

2325-731: The Brahmaputra and one via the Surma . Debarken Depots were used to carry the bonded labours. Some of the Debarken Depots in the Brahmaputra were Tezpur , Silghat , Kokilamukh, Dibrugarh , etc. Debarken Depots in Surma (Barak) were Silchar , Katigorah, Karimganj etc. Labourers were brought in ships, in conditions that were far lower than required for the transport of animals. Steamers were overcrowded with recruits and it

2418-614: The Government of India that a separate state (within the Indian Union) be created comprising the seven districts of Kokrajhar , Chirang , Baksa , Udalguri , Sonitpur , Lakhimpur and Dhemaji of Assam which have a significant Bodo population. On the other hand, it is also claimed as a sovereign state (complete independence from India) by the separatist insurgent group NDFB . Following an agreement in 1993, Bodoland became an autonomous administrative unit constituted under

2511-488: The North Eastern Region of India , where one of the main students organization, All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), allied with National Democratic Front of Boroland – Progressive (NDFB-P) , National Democratic Front of Boroland – D.R. Nabla faction , People's Joint Action Committee for Boroland Movement (PJACBM) which is an amalgamation of over three dozen Bodo organisations and its supporters are demanding from

2604-716: The Sixth Schedule area of the Constitution of India covering an area of 8,795 km administered by the Bodoland Autonomous Council. Following a further peace agreement, the Bodoland Territorial Council was formed in 2003, with a mission to accomplish development in the area of economic, education, preservation of land right, linguistic aspiration, socio-culture and ethnic identity of Bodos and above all to speed up

2697-500: The government of Assam . This assistance of the government of Assam for an all-inclusive Medicare system is now available in 105 estates of its membership. The residents of the estates have benefited from the PPP mode as was decided by the government of Assam since 2007. Another unique direction that the ABITA took was its partnership with UNICEF . An intervention which started in 2000 through

2790-412: The 2011 census, 26.90% of the population speaks Boro , 22.62% Assamese , 19.43% Bengali , 7.88% Sadri , 5.60% Nepali , 2.79% Santali , 2.64% Odia , 2.08% Kurukh , 1.66% Hindi , 1.57% Mundari and 1.45% Bhojpuri as their first language. This district is bounded by Bhutan and West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh state in the north, Sonitpur district in the east, Darrang district in

2883-435: The 2011 census, the prominent languages spoken by the tea garden community are Sadani/Sadri , Santali , Odia , Kurukh/Oraon , and Munda . Additionally, Mundari , Kharia , Chhattisgarhi , Gondi , and Savar also have notable speakers. Among these, Sadri is predominantly spoken as a first language and serves as a lingua franca among the multilingual ethnic groups. However, Sadri spoken in Assam slightly differs from

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2976-728: The Assam Company brought the first batch of 2,272 recruits from outside. Out of 2,272 recruits, 250 died on the way to Assam. From 2 April 1861 to 25 February 1862, 2,569 people were recruited and sent to Assam in two batches via the Brahmaputra river route. During the journey 135 died and 103 absconded. Between 1 May 1863 and 1 May 1866, 84,915 labourers were recruited, but 30,000 had died by June 1866. From 1877 to 1929, 419,841 recruits entered Assam as indentured labourers, including 162,188 males, 119,582 females and 138,071 children. From 1938 to 1947, 158,706 recruits came to Assam. They were brought to Assam through three riverine routes, two along

3069-666: The Bhutanese, in the form of incursions, raids, and violent opposition, beginning about 1688, to tax collection by the Ahoms. Eventually these clashes came to an end with a written agreement. Duars between Sankosh river and Manas River were collectively known as the Eastern Duars , those between Manas River and Barnadi River were collectively known as Kamrup Duars , and those between Barnadi River and Dhansiri River were collectively known as Darrang Duars . The duars to

3162-565: The Council area. The Bodos have a distinct culture from the rest of the world, ranging from dance and music to festivals and attires. Football is popular in the region with clubs like Bodoland FC , competing in Durand Cup ; and United Chirang Duar FC playing in the fourth tier of Indian football, I-League 3 . Many clubs from the region also participate in the state football league. Tea-tribes of Assam A sizeable section of

3255-580: The Darrang region were alternately controlled by the Bhutanese and the Ahoms in an annual cycle. The Bhutanese control over these regions were via local authorities, not ethnic Bhutanese, who were appointed by Bhutanese provincial governors called Ponlops After the British took control of Ahom kingdom in 1826, they maintained the Ahom-Bhutan arrangement for a while but the payments made in kind and

3348-527: The Education, Creche Development & Nutrition Programme, later expanded and diversified into a more structured intervention to promote health, nutrition, sanitation and child rights amongst the tea workers population. The tea industry is a crucial part of the Indian economy . Assam produces 55% of India's total production of tea. It is a labour-intensive industry and highly dependent on a large workforce. It

3441-664: The Governor of Assam from the unrepresented Communities. Thus there are altogether 46 members of the council, representing all communities of BTC Area known as Member of Council Legislative Assembly (MCLA). A new peace agreement was signed on 27 January 2020 between the Government of India and the Government of Assam on one side and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the All Bodo Students’ Union and United Bodo People's Organisation on

3534-489: The Lokur Committee (1965) they formed around 20 lakh. They have been demanding Scheduled Tribe status in Assam, but the tribal organization of Assam is against it, which has resulted in several clashes between them and deaths. In the 19th century, the British found Assam suitable for tea cultivation and wanted to increase their revenue by planting tea plantations, so they brought labourers from different parts of

3627-503: The Workmen's Breach of Contract Act (Act 3 of 1859). Under this act employees were liable to prosecution, and even imprisonment, for breach of contract. Inertia, refusal to work and desertion were likewise punishable offenses for which the workers could be flogged, subjected to physical torture and imprisoned under the provisions of this act. Flogging was common practice in the tea gardens. The then Chief Commissioner Assam Fuller commented on

3720-588: The activities of the Duars. In 1841, the British East company removed the Bhutanese influence and the area was later merged to undivided Darrang district of Assam of the Indian Union in 1949. This district was formed on June 14, 2004 as one of the four districts under the Bodoland Territorial Council . This district was carved out by bifurcating Darrang district . The territory of the present district

3813-404: The amount spent on tea garden education in the first five-year plan was just 0.26 million (2.6 lakhs), i.e., not even ten paise per tea garden labourer. The medium of instruction had also created problems in the tea gardens. Different tribes and castes had their own language and literature in the school owing largely to their original places. In tea gardens, three languages were primarily spoken by

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3906-519: The anti-colonial anti-British attitude alive in their mindset. Noted historian Amalendu Guha remarks, "Illiterate, ignorant, unorganised and isolated from their homes as they were, the plantation workers were weak and powerless against the planters." Still, several times they tried to protest against the atrocities of the planters and estate managers: for example, protest of 1884 in Bowalia T.E., Strike of Helem T.E. in 1921, etc. Numbers of people from

3999-513: The boundary of the region will be adjusted to include contiguous Bodo inhabited areas from neighbouring districts and exclude the non-Bodo inhabited territories which are currently under the jurisdiction of the BTC. On 26 January 2023, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have decided to include 60 more villages which have at least 80% Bodo population in the Bodoland Territorial Region, in order to make Bodo-speakers

4092-526: The community actively participated in the Indian independence movement . Some of the names of the participants are Gajaram Kurmi, Pratap Gond, Shamburam Gond, Mohanchal Gond, Jagamohan Gond, Bidesh Kamar Lohar, Ansa Bhuyan, Radhu Munda, Gobin Tanti, Ramsai Turi, Bishnu Suku Majhi, Bongai Bauri, Durgi Bhumij, etc. Some of the freedom fighters who became martyrs are Christison Munda, Doyal Das Panika, Mongol Kurku, Tehlu Saora and Bankuru Saora. Christison Munda ignited

4185-484: The community, particularly those having Scheduled Tribe status in other states of India and living mainly in the village areas other than tea gardens, prefers to call themselves " Adivasi " and are known by that term in Assam, whereas the Scheduled Tribes of Assam are known as Tribe . Many tea garden community members are tribals like Munda , Santhal , Kurukh , Gonds , Bhumij and others. According to

4278-526: The community. But Adivasi students' organisation AASAA has demanded an extension of the area of the Adivasi Development Council to all parts of Assam, as it is currently operational in only sixth scheduled areas of the state. There have also been demands for the formation of an autonomous satellite council for Adivasis in Assam. Tribals among the community have been fighting for decades to receive Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which

4371-547: The condition of labourers, "...They were deprived of all their freedom and their derogatory conditions and atrocities remind one of the slaves running in Africa and the global slave trade." In addition to this, the tea garden manager might abuse the workers physically. A tea garden manager in Darrang district caught a boy in an attempt at burglary, and he was beaten to death. His dead body was subsequently found with marks that showed that he had been cruelly beaten. In Cachar district,

4464-483: The country to clear large tracts of forest and make tea gardens. Tea garden workers were brought to the tea plantations of Assam in several phases from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century from the tribal heartland of central-eastern India as indentured labourers. During the 1840s, tribal people throughout the Chota Nagpur Division were revolting against expanding British control, and

4557-751: The dense jungle and grassland at the confluence of Indian, Ethiopian and Indo Chinese realms enhances it as one of the richest region of wild animals. The Park harbours 60 species of mammals of which 23 has been listed in Schedule 1 under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972 . The Park also has a recorded count of 36 species of reptiles and 476 species of birds. The Park is home for Elephant , Rhino , Tiger , Gaur , Wild Buffalo , Deer , Wild Hogs , and many other Reptiles, Birds and Insects including some highly endangered species like Pygmy Hog , Golden Langur & Bengal Florican . It

4650-412: The district has several tourist places. Some of the important ones are, According to the 2011 census Udalguri district's population is 831,668, an increase of 9.8% over 2001. The literacy rate is 66.6% and the gender ratio is 966. There are 449 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,160/sq mi). 4.52% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.55% and 32.15% of

4743-801: The eastern Koch Hajo due to the Mughals and during the period of Ahom-Mughal conflicts in early 17th century the Bhutan kingdom pushed south and took control of the region down to the Gohain Kamal Ali. Following the Battle of Itakhuli in 1681 the Ahom kingdom consolidated their rule up to the Manas river in the west and the region north of the Gohain Kamal Ali, divided into different Duars , fell into its possession. The Ahoms soon faced trouble from

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4836-699: The failure of PTCA, the All Bodo Students' Union launched the Bodo Movement in 1987 with the demand for a separate state to be called Bodoland , ending with the Bodo Accord of 1993 with the formation of Bodoland Autonomous Council. Bodoland is named after Bodo , an alternative spelling of the Boro people who live primarily in the Dooars regions of Goalpara and Kamrup districts. Originally

4929-406: The first attempt was made by the Assam Company to recruit labourers. In this attempt, 652 people were forcibly recruited, but due to an outbreak of cholera, most of them died. Those who survived fled. In 1859 the Workmen's Breach of Contract Act was passed, which instituted harsh penalties for indentured labourers who broke their contracts, including flogging. It alleviated the scarcity of labourers on

5022-504: The gardens appointed some trained physicians, called LMP (Learned Medical Practitioners), only after 1889, when Berry White Medical School was set up at Barbari, Dibrugarh. A report published by a European DPI in 1917–18 stated that as many as 2 lakh children of school-going age were in the tea gardens of Assam, but not even 2% turned up for primary education. The numbers of the schools and students' enrolment were in papers and files only. In 1950 there were 5,00,416 of children who could attend

5115-837: The histography, but as Guha quoted, "It must be admitted that these Adivasis joined in the Indian Independence movement, not because of the Assamese middle class, the Congress or the Assamese non-state organizations, but in spite of them." An ethno-linguistic minority, the population of the community is primarily rural in nature and estimated to be around 7 million (70 lakhs), or nearly 20% of Assam's total population. Different political parties appeal to them during election seasons in Assam as their demographic numbers always influence politics in Assam. They live in almost every district of Assam, but their density varies according to

5208-533: The imposition of Sadri language in primary school for tea-tribes and demand inclusion of the Kurmali language in the school curriculum. In July 2021, Adivasi Sahitya Sabha of Assam urged the education minister of Assam, Ronuj Pegu, to promote Adivasi/tribal languages such as Santali, Mundari, Kurukh, Kharia and Gondi. The president of Adivasi Sahitya Sabha of Assam opposed the use of Sadri or Bagania language in schools by claiming it as an artificial language and opposed

5301-452: The industries like oil, gas and major industries of the state are located in upper Assam . Tourism in the region is regulated by the department of Bodoland Tourism. Manas National Park is the major tourist attraction of the region. It also has many wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forests, site seeings, picnic spots, and events. Manas, the nature's abode is at the foothills of Bhutan with its unique biodiversity and landscape. The blending of

5394-675: The infrastructure development of communities in the Bodoland area. The actual functioning of the council was started on 7 December 2003 by constituting the 12 members of the Council provisionally. After the Council Election on 13 May 2005 and subsequent bye-election in November 2005, the 40-member Legislative Council has been formed to look after the development works in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts. The remaining six members are nominated by

5487-438: The jail set up at Tezpur in 1876 for insane people. Thousands of labourers died annually due to the lack of availability of health care. The gardens did not appoint any doctors. Though the colonial government tried to make tea gardens appoint European medical officers and send health reports to the government regularly, tea gardens failed to comply. Most of the gardens didn't have hospitals to treat labourers in ill health. Most of

5580-407: The labours: Santhali , Kurukh , and Mundari . But commonly Sadri was used and outside the tea gardens the Assamese language was used as a medium of communication. Therefore Narayan Ghatowar, a prominent intellectual of the community, advocated that Assamese be imparted in the schools only by teachers who knew Sadri. Though the community remained oppressed as plantation labourers, they still had

5673-419: The lives of tea garden labourers. Reputed Tea Associations such as Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) and Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) have been working with organizations such as UNICEF and the Government of Assam to improve the lives of the tea garden labourers. The ABITA has embarked on a partnership with National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of the government of India promoted and partnered by

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5766-557: The lower primary schools, but only 29,361 children attended. It was just meagre 6%. From 1946–50, there were only four college students from tea gardens. The number of students who attended high schools, including M. E. schools, during this period was Jorhat – 29, Dibrugarh – 15, Golaghat – 22, Titabor – 04, Nagaon – 10, Lakhimpur – 12, Tezpur – 41 and Mangaldai – 05. The tea planters never encouraged education to garden labourers as it would prevent them from physical labor or encourage protest against exploitation. Even after Indian independence,

5859-434: The lowest against Assam's 72% overall literacy rate as tea garden management and other vested interests hinder in their educational development. The government of Assam has a full fledged "Tea-tribes welfare department" for looking after the socio-economic welfare of the community. There also exist an Adivasi Development Council and Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes Development Council to look after specific development needs of

5952-465: The majority of the community are still labourers, they live in labour lines built inside tea-estates and established by tea planters. These estates are located in remote areas and this contributes to the backwardness and exploitation of them by the tea planters. The labourers in a way have to live with the basic facilities provided by the tea planters. The tea planters usually exploit the workers every possible way. Violence and agitation of labourers against

6045-465: The management is common, where the state machinery normally protects the tea-planters. Non-education, poverty, addiction of males to country-beer, poor standard of living, rising population and inadequate health facilities provided to them are the problems in their lives. There are instances when tea-planters do not even supply the life-saving drugs when workers are dying out of epidemics. The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha has been instrumental in improving

6138-483: The manager of the tea gardens was necessary for the marriage of the labourers. In addition to emigrant labourers, tea planters also forced labourers to increase the birth rate, so that each garden could garner enough labour force. Abortion was strictly prohibited. The wages paid to labourers were very low. This forced the whole of family members to work in the tea garden. From 1865–1881 men labourers were paid only ₹5 per month and women ₹4 per month. The situation remained

6231-750: The musical instruments used by them. ' Jhumair ' is a famous folk dance form among the community. This dance is a folk dance prevalent in Jharkhand , Odisha and West Bengal . It has become famous among the community although traditionally different ethnic groups and tribes have different folk dances. Karam dance is an important dance form that is performed during the Karam festival by boys and girls alike. Other folk dances are Chhau dance , Sambalpuri Dalkhai dance, Santal , Kurukh dance of Oraon tribe and Kharia dance of Kharia tribe, which are performed on different occasions. Dhols , Mandars, and Kartals are

6324-643: The native Chota Nagpuri variant and has several sub-varieties that arise due to dominant linguistic groups, differing in their phonological, morphological, and syntactic features. Nagpuri Sadri, on the other hand, exhibits linguistic features from the Bihari group of languages like Bhojpuri , Magahi , etc., making it often considered a dialect of Bhojpuri. Meanwhile, the Assam Sadri sub-varieties are influenced by languages that are Indo-Aryan , Dravidian , Austroasiatic , Tibeto-Burman , and Tai-Kradai , hence it

6417-469: The number of tea plantations in different regions of Assam. They are more numerous in Upper Assam and Central Assam than Lower Assam. Some were not brought for tea garden labour. Many tribes (most notably Santhal, Kurukh, Bhumij and Munda people) were forcibly displaced by the British from the Chotanagpur region due to their rebellion against the British regime. They were dumped into Lower Assam regions of then-undivided Goalpara and undivided Darrang districts as

6510-404: The other parts of Northeast India , regional aspiration in the region reached a turning point in the 1980s. The isolation of the region, its complex social character, and its backwardness compared to other parts of the country have all resulted in the complicated set of demands ranging from demand for autonomy and opposition to migrants to movements for secession. The region is also the gateway to

6603-448: The other. Under the terms of this agreement, a Bodoland Territorial Region was formed with enhanced executive and legislative powers. The Bodoland Territorial Council will have competency over almost all areas defined by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and its membership will be increased to 60. The boundary of BTR will be redrawn to make Boro speakers majority within the region. This will be done by forming new districts and

6696-401: The part of the government. Though the younger generations are better-educated and are becoming professionals in various fields, there are not many of those in the community. The literacy rate of the community is one of the lowest in Assam, particularly among girls and women. Due to this, girls are extremely vulnerable to sexual exploitation and early marriages are prevalent among them. Since

6789-406: The plantation by recruiting from outside Assam through contracts. "Arakattis," or brokers, were appointed to recruit labour from outside the area. In 1870, the "Sardari System" was introduced to recruit labourers. Conditions of recruitment of labour from Bengal and Bihar were inhuman. Arakattis resorted to several fraudulent practices and physical force. From 15 December 1859 to 21 November 1861,

6882-406: The population respectively. The district is multi-ethnic and multi-religious in nature. Bodos forms the largest ethnic group in the district with 31.76% of the district's population. Other ethnic groups with significant population are Adivasi community with almost 23.12% and Bengali Muslims with 12% of the district's population. Assamese and Bengali Hindus resides mainly in urban areas. There

6975-697: The region between the Bornadi River and Dhansiri River . The Duar that falls under the Udalguri district are the Buriguma Dooar and Killing Dooars. In older times, Udalguri acted as a trading point between Assam and Tsona city in Tibet (now China ). The route passed through the Nyamjang Chu and Tawang Chu rivers via Trashigang and Dewangiri . The Monpas of Tibet would visit Tangla and Udalguri to acquire silk known as Alaine from

7068-605: The region till the east in Killing Duars fell under the authority of the Bhutias in 1189. From the early 17th-century present-day Udalguri district was governed jointly by the Druk Desi ( Dzongkha : འབྲུག་སྡེ་སྲིད་) of Bhutan and the Sutamla of the Ahom kingdom . Under the Bhutan government, it was under the authority of Tongso Penlop who appointed Subah who in turn appointed Laskar, Mondol or Uzir to look after

7161-559: The region will be enlarged and will also include two new districts created from areas currently outside the region. The total number of districts within the Bodoland region will therefore be nine. In January 2022, Tamulpur district was created by separating the Tamulpur sub-division from Baksa district . The geographical boundary of the BTR lies between 26° 7'12'' N to 26° 47' 50'' N Latitude and 89° 47' 40'' E to 92° 18' 30'' E Longitude and

7254-442: The same up to 1900. It was only by an Act of 1901 that wages increased to ₹5.5 for men and ₹4.5 for women. Children's wages remained the same. These rates of pay compared extremely unfavourably with other manual work available: in the early 1880s an unskilled railway construction labourer earned ₹12 to 16 per month (3 times more than tea garden labour). The tea garden labourers suffered under legal bondage. Their lives were governed by

7347-433: The scarcity of cheap labour to work in the expanding tea industry of Assam led the British authorities to recruit primarily Tribals and some backward-class Hindus as indentured labourers to work in Assam's tea gardens. Thousands of people recruited as labourers died of diseases during the journey to Assam, and hundreds who tried to flee were killed by the British authorities as punishment for breaching their contracts. In 1841

7440-692: The shared administration were something the colonial administration was unwilling to maintain and annexed the Kamrup and Darrang Duars in 1841 and the Kariapar Duar in 1844; and following the Duar War in 1865 took complete possession of the Duars and removed Bhutanese interest from the Goalpara and Western Duars for good. The duars associated with the historical regions of Goalpara , Kamrup , and Darrang were then added to these districts. Along with

7533-1103: The south and Tamulpur district in the west. Area of the district is 1852.16 km. Odalguri is the largest town in Udalguri district. Other towns include Tangla , Rowta , Mazbat, Kalaigaon , Paneri, Khairabari and Bhergaon. In 1990, Udalguri district became home to Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary , which has an area of 26.22 km (10.1 sq mi). It shares the park with four other districts. Animals like elephants, Hog Deer, Tiger, Wild Boar, Civet, etc. are found. Birds like Bengal Florican, Black-necked Stork, Greater Adjudant Stork, Pallas's Fishing Eagle and Reptiles such as King Cobra, Python, Paradise Flying Snake, Lessemys Punctate, etc. can also be found. The district has two sub-divisions: Udalguri and Bhergaon. These two sub-divisions are further divided into 5 revenue circles: Udalguri, Majbat, Harisinga , Kalaigaon , Khoirabari . Three Vidhan Sabha constituencies of this district are Paneri , Majbat, and Udalguri. All of these are part of Mangaldoi Lok Sabha constituency . Apart from these three Legislative Assembly constituencies, majority of

7626-753: The state population. Apart from those prominent tribal groups, other notable communities were Bhuiya (83,383), Bhumij (72,003), Kamar (67,902), Bauri (62,430), Ahir (53,294), Chamar (51,733), Dom (39,037), Ghasi (32,703), Kurmi (31,794), Khadiyal (31,324), Napit (18,350), Odia (16,835), Telinga (15,927), Rajwar (15,213), Jalandha (13,535), Mahli (13,506), Kharwar (13,476), Musahar (13,317), Bhogta (12,058), Dosadh (11,703), Kahar (10,666), Bagdi (10,664), and Gowala (10,255). They are people of various ethno-linguistic origins from different regions of eastern India composed of dozens of tribes and castes with varying population demographics. The list of tribes and castes are: According to

7719-412: The tea cultivation, plucking and processing of tea leaves in the plantations is one of exploitation and untold hardships for the tea labourers. These labourers are still living with the basic facilities provided by the tea planters or companies. Poor standard of living and lack of education and health facilities are the main problems of tea labourers. Literacy level among the community is only 46%, one of

7812-419: The tea garden community are shifting to a lingua franca language, Sadri, while others are transitioning to Bengali and Assamese to varying degrees. Among the tribal groups, languages such as Ho, Gondi, Kui, Bhumij, and Korwa are experiencing significant decreases in the number of speakers from 1931 to 2011, with percentage changes ranging from -65.4% to -95.4%. In July 2021, Kudmali Sahitya Sabha of Assam opposed

7905-483: The term Tea-tribe by claiming it as self-created nomenclature. The majority of the population of the community follows Folk Hinduism and Sarnaism , while Christians account for about 15% of the population. Hindus worship different deities during different seasons of a year. Most (if not all) of the Hindus are animistic in nature and worship tribal and tantra-related gods. The influence of mainstream Vedic Hinduism

7998-446: The traditional musical instruments used during the dance for music. Usually, the traditional dress of red-bordered white saris is adorned by female dancers along with jewellery and ornaments before performing the dance. Male dancers wear dhotis and kurtas with white turbans on their heads. They are one of the most backward and exploited communities in Assam due to decades of continuous exploitation by tea estate management and neglect on

8091-771: The villages under Kalaigaon Legislative Assembly Constituency and a few villages fall under the Borsola Legislative Assembly Constituency fall in Udalguri District. While Kalaigaon LAC is a part of Mangaldai Lok Sabha Constituency and Borsola LAC is a part of Tezpur Lok Sabha Constituency . Dhansiri Irrigation Project, the largest irrigation project in the region is situated in Udalguri. 26°44′42.72″N 92°05′46.32″E  /  26.7452000°N 92.0962000°E  / 26.7452000; 92.0962000 Bodoland Territorial Region The Bodoland Territorial Region ( BTR )

8184-555: The west of Goalpara were called Western Duars . The Duars in the Goalpara region (which was outside the Ahom kingdom) were under Bhutan's control, but the administration of the Duars to east were shared between Bhutan or Tibet and the Ahom kingdom under different mechanisms. The Duars in the Kamrup region followed the posa system in which the Bhutanese were given possession of the duars in lieu of an annual payment; and those in

8277-518: Was a hermitage of a sage named Uddalak Muni. Yet, another source mentions that the word has origins in the Boro language. From the Bodo words ordla and gundri , the name became Ordlagundri > Ordlagundi > Odalguri > Ugalguri . Bodo people still pronounce the name as Odalguri. In Bodo language ordla means wide and spacious and gundri means powdered object. Udalguri district falls under Darrang Duars which includes

8370-427: Was earlier Udalguri sub-division of the undivided district. There are Hindu, Christians and Muslim population living together in the district. This was a very peaceful place till mid 80s but various communal clashes took place from time to time. Late Jojaram Sharma was one of the prominent India freedom fighters from Assam lived here. Other than the multitude of culture and tradition of the various ethnic communities,

8463-727: Was established according to the Memorandum of Settlement of 10 February 2003. BTC came into existence immediately after the surrender of Bodo Liberation Tigers Force (BLTF). The BLTF laid down their weapons on 6 December 2003 under the leadership of Hagrama Mohilary and Shri Hagrama Mohilary was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) on 7 December 2003. The BTC has 46 members (30 seats reserved for scheduled Tribes, 5 seats for non-scheduled tribes and 5 open seats) and 6 seats of which are nominated by Governor of Assam from unrepresented communities. The council appoints

8556-455: Was further extended by an agreement signed in January 2020. The region covers an area of over nine thousand square kilometres and is predominantly inhabited by the Bodo people and other indigenous communities of Assam. The Plains Tribes Council of Assam had demanded, since its inception in 1967, for a separate union territory for the Boro and other plain tribes to be called Udayachal . With

8649-465: Was highly unhygienic. These conditions led to the spread of cholera among the labourers which led to the death of many among them in the journey. After the journey, their life in the tea gardens was also difficult. Planters made barracks known as the Coolie line for the labourers and these were overcrowded. "Coolie" was a term used by tea garden authorities to denote labourers, and is now considered to be

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