The Makum Chinese community exists on the fringes of Indian history, its narrative overshadowed by the broader events of the 1962 Indo-China war and the surge of nationalism it provoked. Despite being Indian citizens, many members of this community were forcibly sent to China amid the fervor of wartime nationalism.
During British rule, tea was discovered in the Singhpho kingdom, adjacent to British-occupied Assam. To cultivate this newfound resource, the British needed skilled labor and turned to neighboring China. Chinese workers, experienced in tea plantations, migrated to Assam in 1838, drawn by better wages than they could earn in their homeland.
These Chinese laborers were not alone; workers from various parts of India also came to the tea gardens. Despite their diverse origins and cultural differences, these communities intermingled. Chinese men often married local women, and over generations, they became more Assamese than their original ethnicity, many even forgetting their ancestral language. Known as the Assamese Chinese, they became an integral part of the region, contributing significantly to its prosperity.
Several small China Towns, or China Patties, emerged across Assam, with Makum being the largest. These communities established Chinese clubs, schools, and restaurants, leading comfortable and integrated lives until everything changed abruptly. The Indo-China war transformed them into aliens in their homeland, which they fondly referred to as "Janam Jagah."
The Indo-China war of 1962 was a tumultuous period in India's history, severely impacting the Chinese-Indian community in Makum. Primarily of Hakka descent, this community had migrated to India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thriving in trades such as tea plantations, tanneries, and restaurants. However, as tensions between India and China escalated, they found themselves under intense scrutiny.
The border war, starting in October 1962, fueled suspicions toward people of Chinese descent. The Indian government's concern over national security led to a climate of paranoia, where ethnic Chinese were viewed with distrust. In response, policies were enacted that had devastating effects on the community.
Many Chinese-Indians were detained without trial under the Defense of India Act, with reports suggesting that between 2000 and 3000 were interned in camps, the most notorious being the Deoli Internment Camp in Rajasthan. In Makum, Chinese families faced arrests, forced relocations, and the confiscation or vandalization of their properties and businesses. Intense interrogation and surveillance isolated and marginalized the community, which had once been a vibrant part of Makum’s social fabric.
Conditions in the internment camps were harsh. Families were separated, and internees faced inadequate food, poor sanitation, and lack of medical care. The psychological toll was immense, with detainees struggling with the uncertainty of their futures and the abrupt severance from their homes and livelihoods.
The internment and persecution had lasting economic and social repercussions. Businesses owned by Chinese-Indians were shuttered or taken over, leading to financial ruin for many. The sudden removal of a significant portion of the workforce also disrupted local economies, particularly in sectors where the Chinese community was prominent.
Socially, the war period and its aftermath left deep scars. Trust between the Chinese community and their neighbors eroded, and many Chinese-Indians felt a profound sense of betrayal by the country they considered home. This period also led to a significant exodus of Chinese-Indians from Assam, as they sought safer environments in other parts of India or abroad.
The legacy of the Indo-China war for the Chinese community in Makum is a tale of resilience amid adversity. Those who remained faced a long and challenging path to rebuild their lives and restore their place in society. Despite the normalization of diplomatic relations between India and China in the decades following the war, the scars of that era continue to influence the collective memory and identity of Chinese-Indians in Assam.
The experience of Assam's Chinese community during the Indo-China war is a poignant reminder of the human cost of geopolitical conflicts. The hardships they endured, marked by suspicion, displacement, and economic ruin, highlight the vulnerabilities of ethnic minorities in times of national crisis.