The Bodos, also called the Boros, are an ethnic community that is concentrated mostly in the north-western parts of Assam in India. They are said to belong to a larger classification of ethnicity called the Bodo-Kachari. The nerve center of the Bodos is the city of Kokrajhar.

The Bodo-Kachari

Kachari is a generic term applied to a number of groups speaking a more or less common dialect or claiming a common mythical ancestry. They are regarded as aborigines or the earliest known settlers of the Bharmaputra Valley- which includes the whole of Assam, North Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. They are thought to have originated from Tibet, although remnants of their original stock have not been identified as yet.

Based on an 1881 census, there were 18 groups within the Kachari definition, which included the Bodo, Dimasa, Lalumg, madani, Mech, Rabha, Saraniya, Garo, Rajbangshi (Koch), Chutiya, Moran, Hajong, Tippera, Mahalia, Dhimal, Solaimiya and Phulgaria.

Some of the groups, such as Chutiya, Moran, Saraniya and Koch do not consider themselves as Kachari as they

The Mech in Western Assam, the Bodo in central Assam, the Dimasa and Hojai to the north of Chachar Hills, and the Sonowal and Thengal in the eastern part of the Brahmaputra now represent the Kachari.

The Bodo People

The Bodos are the largest tribe of the Brahmaputra valley. They divided into a number of clans such as the Basumatari, Sargwari, Musahari, Sibigri, Narjari, Doimari, Gayari and Brahmari. Though the numbers are in dispute, the census report from 1971 state the Bodos as being the 8th largest tribal group in India, with Bodo being spoken by about .8 million people.

The Bodo language is part of the Tibeto-Burmese family of languages. The tribe recently adopted the Devanagari script formally, although the Roman script has also been extensively used- particularly due to the influence of Christian missionaries in that region. According to some scholars, the Bodo language had a script of its own called Deodhai.

The Bodos are thought to have introduced rice cultivation and silkworm rearing to the region. The traditional favourite drink of the Bodos is Zu Mai- Zu meaning beer, and Mai meaning rice.

Weaving is another integral part of Bodo culture. Many families rear their own silkworms, the cocoons of which are then spun into silk. Bodo girls are taught to weave from a young age, and no Bodo courtyard is complete without a loom. Most women weave their own Dokhnas (the traditional outfit of the Bodo women) and shawls. The Bodos are also expert craftsmen in bamboo products.

Religion

The Bodos practice a number of religions, with Bathou being the primary faith, along with Hinduism and Christianity.

Bathouism is not strictly animism, though it has been thought as such by outsiders. It is based on the belief of an infinite and eternal god called Obonglaoree. Legend has it that the infinite god became tired of his formless existence and shaped himself as a human being called Jiw Borai, or Old Soul.

Efforts have been made to identify Jiw Borai with the Hindu god Siva. Several elements of Hinduism have been incorporated in the Bathou religion over time.

In the Bodo Language Ba means five and thou means deep. Five is a significant number in the Bathou religion.

There is no fixed place of worship for the Bodos. The altar is placed in any convenient location around the household, usually in the courtyard. For the Kherai Puja- the most important festival of the Bodos, the altar is placed in the paddy field. Other important festivals of the Bodos include Garja, Hapsa Hatarnai, Ongkam Goloi Janai, Boisagu and Domachi.

Despite the advance of Hinduism amongst the Bodos, Hindu practices such as caste and dowry are not practiced by the majority of Bodo Hindus.

The Bodos Now

After prolonged struggle to promote and develop Bodo culture and identity, the Bodos have today been granted the Bodoland Territorial Council, and autonomous administrative body that will have within its jursidiction the present district of Kokrajhar and adjoining areas. The movement for autonomy was headed by the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and an armed militant group called Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT). Following the establishment of the BTC, the BLT have come overground.

In addition the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) demands secession from India, to form an independent state of Bodoland and is still active in certain regions against the Indian government.

References

• The Bodos: Children of the Bhullumbutter, edited by Thomas Pulloppillil and Jacob Aluckal, first published 1997
• Bodo-English Dictionary, by Moniram Mochari, 1981

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