'Indigenous identity' question resurfaces in Assam ahead of PM's land dole to 1 lakh families

GUWAHATI: Assam, inhabited by myriad tribes and communities, has always struggled to determine who is "indigenous" to the land. Despite being home to several prominent communities like the Ahoms, Misings, Bodos, Kacharis, and Tiwas, there has always been an intense debate over who the land rightfully belongs to.

Therefore, Assam's Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's declaration that the Prime Minister will hand over land documents (pattas) to over 1 lakh "indigenous families" of the state has caused tensions to flare up, with opposition leaders slamming the ruling party for its "exclusionary election gimmick."

The PM's visit, conveniently scheduled months before the state heads to polling booths again, is seen as the BJP's attempt to showcase its protection of the “jati, mati and bheti (identity, land and homeland).” It was a key promise in the lead up to the last polls in 2016, which the party had termed as the "last battle of Saraighat."

Modi will ceremonially hand over seven bighas of farmland each and smaller plots for homesteads to over one lakh landless people at the historic Jerenga Pathar in Sivasagar. However, the question that arises is: Who will be given land and who will be exclused? What are the criterion that one must fulfill to become a rightful owner of land?

Recently, the BJP-led Government has Resentment against the ruling party reached its peak during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in Assam when lakhs descended on the streets against the "naturalization of illegal Bangladeshi Hindus."

Also, the BJP's is yet to come through on its promise to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord (meant to give the Assamese people certain safeguards that would not be available to migrants between 1951 and 1971) has also been proved futile. The recommendations, formulated by a 14-member team headed by former Gauhati High Court Justice Biplab Sharma, continues to gather dust.

Therefore, Assam's largest land dole since Independence has met with a lot of skepticism, with the saffron party being brutally slammed over its apparent obsession with the word "indigenous."

"Landless people" in Assam have been demanding land from the Government since time immemorial. This is nothing new. In fact, things turned extremely ugly on Prabin Boro, a farmer rights activist demanding land rights for people living in the Guwahati city's hill areas, set himself on fire in front of the Assam Secretariat.

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Rajib Handique, the Head of the Department of History at the Gauhati University of Assam, says that the determination of indigeneity from a social perspective is nigh impossible. "It is difficult to answer that question. When you call somebody indigenous, several questions are posed. Under such circumstances, the 'son of the soil' theory comes into play. India's colonial encounter has changed the culture and complexions of the country. Secondly, indigeneity is difficult to determine based on religion as many people have converted to other religions over the years. Therefore, the people who were settled in India are being seen are the actual indigenous Assamese," he told Inside Northeast.

What the Opposition says:

Debabrata Saikia, a Congress MLA who was recently stripped of the "leader of opposition status", says that the BJP's focus on the word 'indigenous' reeks of a pre-election gimmick. "It is rather flummoxing as only adivasis have so far been deemed as indigenous by the Supreme Court. The Government publicizing No one who is . NRC should be implemented. To divert from the actual issues -- such as the 'CAA' and 'NRC' -- they are beginning another issue by tagging people as "indigenous" and "non-indigenous."

"Look at some of the landless people in Assam. The residents of Laika-Dodhia villages for instance. They are from the Mishing tribe that has strong roots in Assam, and yet they have not been given land. They should fulfill the promises made before elections instead of polarizing along indigenous and non-indigenous lines."

Manjit Mahanta, a prominent social worker and vehement critic of the 'CAA', has said that the actual indigenous are unlikely to benefit from whet he has termed as an "election gimmick."

"On what basis will they give land pattas? Where else in the country have you seen a prime minister handing over a land pattas? This is unheard of. And who are they treating indigenous and who has been excluded? Are only BJP supporters 'indigenous'? They should clarify that. In the past, we have seen that only people affiliated to their party have benefitted from their schemes," he told Inside Northeast.

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