Assam: The troubling dynamics of Tribal identity

Thirteen people were reported killed and 20 injured in Assam's Kokrajhar town, after terrorists opened fire in a market area on August 5.

Kokrajhar is the heart of the Bodo territory.

According to the 2001 Census, the Scheduled Tribe population of Assam was 12.41 per cent, of which Bodos are about 40 per cent. But, within the Bodoland Territorial Area District, an area of 27,100 sq km (or 35 per cent of Assam), the Bodos constitute less than 30 per cent, with no other ethnic group (Assamese speakers, Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus, Koch-Rajbongshis) having absolute majority. This tension between Bodos and the 70 per cent of non-Bodos leads to periodic conflict in Kokrajhar.

The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was formed as a special territorial privilege, under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, in a Memorandum of Settlement in February 2003 between the Government of India, Government of Assam and the Bodo Liberation Tigers. The BTC has 12 members.

While insurgency-related deaths are showing a downward trend in the state, the recent tragedy shows the strength of tribal identity.