Center for community development and cultural research of the mishing tribe Majuli Assam

Abstract

Assam is a multilingual state comprising of different castes and tribes. The Mishings are the second most populous tribe of Assam. They come under the Indo-Mongoloid race anthropologically. Originally known as the Miri tribe, they used to reside in the hills surrounding Assam towards Burma and Tibet. The tribe migrated to the plains of Assam for greater opportunity and ease of life back in the 13th century A.D. Like other tribes in Assam, they have developed unique characteristics in their oral literature, material culture, performing arts and social rituals. Assam with its, vast network of rivers is prone to natural disasters like flood and erosion which has a negative impact on the overall development of the state. The Brahmaputra and the Barak River causes devastation in the state each year during the monsoons. The Mishing tribe, due totheir riparian culture and environment have always been located in these remote riverine area with little to no connectivity. This has had an impact on their overall development and opportunities. Access to many facilities such as healthcare, education, economic infrastructure and skills etc. is limited and thus affect the community greatly. The Mishing folk-life is full of their own unique and colourful art and culture. They have slowly deviated from their original source and slowly acquired a new form at present. The inevitable development of society will bring about social and mantel changes in the daily life of the Mishings. Thus, it is very important to collect and compile the Mishing way of life before it is completely dissected. Thus, to address the aforementioned issues, this project aims to invigorate the community bonds, activities, culture and economy by providing a platform for the people to come together with various professionals to develop a sensitive and resilient framework for the community. The infrastructure of the project will be based on the traditional knowledge systems. The project will also try to create inspiration by reinterpretation of these traditional knowledge and merging them with modern technology to provide a resilient and stable environment.