Autonomy movement and development are two important terminologies in literature of Political Science at present and they are correlated in many aspects.
In fact, the desire for political autonomy originated in the quest for economic development and this very issue is quite relevant in the autonomy movement of the Sixth Schedule area of North East India. The evolution of the Sixth Schedule the provision in the constitution of India is due to the tribal desire for political autonomy and their quest for economic development. The tribal areas of the then undivided Assam or the present North-East India, classified as Excluded and The partially Excluded areas were independent and autonomous in political setup in pre-British period; because the tribal chiefs governed their respective territories without outside interference and they were independent in their own rights. As the British administration guaranteed limited autonomy to the tribal chiefs in tune with their psychology, they (Tribal chiefs) were satisfied with the internal autonomy guaranteed to them and they acted as if they were autonomous in their status.
As a matter of fact, that autonomous status was expected by tribals of the Excluded and Partially Excluded areas in the post-independent era which was vested under the responsibilities of the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights by the Constituent Assembly of India. The Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights further constituted three Sub-Committees; out of which, the North-East Frontier (Assam) Tribal and Excluded Area Committee under the Chairmanship of Gopinath Bordoloi, the Premier of Assam dealt with the constitutional status of tribals of Excluded and Partially Excluded of Undivided Assam. Subsequently, the tribals of undivided Assam were facilitated with the provision of the Sixth Schedule to quench their thirst for political autonomy so as to enable them to implement development works in their respective areas. Thus, the tribals’ desire for autonomy and economic development are the main factors for the emergence of the Sixth Schedule to the constitution of India. Autonomy movement and development are two important terminologies in the literature of Political Science at present and they are correlated in many aspects.
In fact, the desire for political autonomy originated in the quest for economic development and this very issue is quite relevant in the autonomy movement of the Sixth Schedule area of North East India. The evolution of the Sixth Schedule provision in the constitution of India is due to the tribal desire for political autonomy and their quest for economic development.
The tribal areas of the then undivided Assamlör present North-East India classified as Excluded and the Partially Excluded area was independent and autonomous in political set-up in pre-British period; because the tribal chiefs governed their respective territories without outside interference and they were independent in their own rights. As the British administration guaranteed limited autonomy to the tribal chiefs in tune with their psychology, they (Tribal chiefs) were satisfied with the internal autonomy guaranteed to them and they acted as if they were their status. As a matter of fact, that autonomous status was expected by tribals of the Excluded and Partially Excluded areas in the post-independent era which was vested under the responsibilities of the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights by the Constituent Assembly of India. The Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights further constituted three Sub-Committees; out of which, the North East Frontier (Assam) Tribal and Excluded Area Committee under the Chairmanship of Gopinath Bordoloi, the Premier of Assam dealt with the constitutional status of tribals of Excluded and Partially Excluded of Undivided Assam. Subsequently, the tribals of undivided Assam were facilitated with the provision of the Sixth Schedule to quench their thirst for political autonomy so as to enable them to implement development works in their respective areas. Thus, the tribals’ desire for autonomy and economic development are the main factors for the emergence of the Sixth Schedule to the constitution of India. Soon after independence, India’s northeastern region was swamped in a series of conflicts starting with the Naga secessionist movement in the 1950s, followed by others in the 1960s. The conflicts intensified and engulfed the entire region in the 1970s and 1980s. However, in the 1990s, following the reclamation of ethnic identities amid gnawing scarcities, the conflicts slowly turned into internal feuds. Consequently, alliance and re-alliance among the ethnic groups transpired. In the 2000s, it finally led to the balkanization of ethnicity- based autonomy movements in the region. Unfortunately, the state’s ad-hoc measures failed to contain protected conflicts and, instead, compounded the situation and swelled hybrid ethnic identities.
The presence of outsiders or unchecked flow of foreigners to North East India is another major factor responsible for the politics of the identity movement in North East India. So far as the migration to North East India is concerned its beginning can be dated back to the British colonial period and it is continuing till today in a unchecked way especially from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bihar, Nepal, Odissa, etc.
Though there take certain measures for the deportation and detection of foreigners from time to time the deportation of foreigners from North East India remains a utopia. Such unchecked population to North East India poses a great threat such as demographic imbalance, economic deprivation, political unrest and instability, employment problem, socio-cultural and linguistic threats towards the people of North East India. As a result, various ethnic groups of North East India become conscious for losing their own distinctive lingo-cultural and ethnic identity and started identity movements.
Displacement of tribal People is one of the burning questions of today’s politics of North East India. It is held responsible for the growth of the politics of identity movement in North East India. It is because when the industry was set up in a tribal area, the people were evicted from their land and their land was being requisitioned. But there was a little effort to rehabilitate them. For example, in 1932 more than 1000 tribal people Udalguri (Assam) were evacuated in order to establish the Dhansiri irrigation project. According to a survey organized by the Tribal Research Institute A large number of villagers that they b have neither received any compensation nor any alternative land due to acquisition.
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