Part 7 - Economic Condition (of the Nepalese of Assam)

The Nepalese of Assam are mainly dependent on agriculture. Some of them are engaged in the profession of cowherd or cattle rearing. But the lack of grazing fields and wastelands decreased the number of cowherds to a great extent. A few of them are continuing their traditional profession. Some of the Nepalese are serving in the government service and military forces, and some are depending on agriculture. 

On the basis of occupations, the economic structure of the Nepalese can be grouped in the following categories:

a) Grazers: 

The Nepalese who entered Assam searching for livelihood. As they find the available fertile and waste lands, they started to work as grazers and came to acquire a large number of cows and buffaloes. Thus, they scattered in the whole of North East region. Some places of greater Sonitpur district were Gamiri, Behali, Gadpal, Biswanath, Singri, Bubhachapani, Dhansiri, Mangaldoi and many others. They supplied milk to the public as well as to the government. From 1916 with the restricted area permit the Grazers maintained their profession. On the basis of Assam District Gaieties, 1909 (Darrang) Upadhyaya cited that the Nepalese are settling in Darrang in a considerable number. Initially this profession had an insignificant source of government revenue. Due to the increase of population the grazing lands and waste lands gradually decreased in Assam. Some natural calamities like drought occurred in Assam in 1934-40, the earthquake of 1950 and the continuous floods in the rivers of Assam made many Nepali grazers disappear from their profession.

b) Farmers: 

Most of the Nepalese are into farming. They are born, grow up and die within the boundary of the same village. Their lifestyle is very simple and depends only on agrarian economy. They are far away from urban civilization and change. Though they don’t like their profession but time, place and environment bound them do so. Now-a-days, the peasants employ the modern techniques for more production and many of them have gone to the different professional activities. There is mostly joint families system and they are completely dependent on agriculture. The head of the family fail to fulfill the basic needs of the family member. In Assam the farmers do not apply modern techniques and only depend on the seasonal crops, so their economy is very poor.

c) Service: 

To determine the economic condition of the Nepalese of Assam, government service and private enterprises play a less important role in general. Among the Nepalese, a large number are found as school teachers and professors in the colleges and universities of Assam. A few are engaged in government executive sectors. Doctors and Engineers are less in number. Some others are found in the government and private offices servicing as 1^st grade officers, guards, drivers, peons and others. Besides these, a large number of young people are engaged in military forces. Some are found in coal mines and oil refineries of Assam as daily wage laborers.

Nepalese Cattle Breeders are mostly inhabited in the river island of the Brahmaputra, forest lands and open uncultivated pasture lands. They have been living there with their families.

Following are some locations of their settlement which are known as ‘Khuti’.

1. Shillong Khuti (Udalguri District).
2. Nepali Khuti (Dhemaji District).
3. Bhoune Khuti. (Dhubri District).
4. Shuklai Khuti (Udalguri District).

Similarly, the word “Tapu” means river island which are in plenty in Assam.

Following are some of the places which indicate the early settlement of Nepalese people. (Cattle-breeder in the state)

1. Dahal Tapu (Sonitpur District).
2. Narsing Tapu (Sonitpur District).
3. Tintike Tapu (Sonitpur District).
4. Rani Tapu (Sonitpur District).
5. Kampani Tapu (Kaziranga).
6. Baghe Tapu (Kaziranga).

Another Nepalese word Chhapadi which means river island or char. The Nepalese grazer families were living there with their cattle. Some such places are mentioned below:

1). Asare Chhapadi (Sonitpur District).
2). Surbire Chhapadi (Sonitpur District).
3). Musaldari Chhapadi (Sadiya).
4).Lasune Chhapadi (Sadiya) (Upadhyay 140-146)

Highest Tax Paying community in Assam in 1919-20: 

Famous Literateur Amalendu Guha in his book Planter-Raj to Swaraj (1998) says that in 1919-20 for 1 lakh 25 thousand cattle the grazing tax released was to the tune of Rs.2 lakh 77 thousand. He says “the overwhelming bulk of these cattle again belonged to 6319 Professional Graziers: Cattle farmer.” (Guha 93)

Grazers of whom, excepting a few hundred all were Nepalese migrants. From this discussion, we know that the Nepalese are the old inhabitants and they have a long history in Assam which can’t be ignored.

History of Nepalese Grazers in Assam: We have seen that the Nepalese grazers were living in Assam since 19^th century and adopted cattle breeding as a profession. They are also paying grazing tax to the government of the day. The Burha Chhapai (in present Sonitpur District was notified as a Professional Grazing Reserve as per Govt. notification dated 31. 10. 1916. But the Nepalese grazers were living there since around 1870. Similarly, the Nepalese grazer in other district such as Govindapur (Barpeta District), constituted vide notification dated 23.09.1922, Laothowa or Bhangnamari (present Nalbari District and Barpeta (in present Baska District), constituted vide notification dated 02.11.1920 where hundreds of Nepalese Grazers living with their families. On the other hand, the Nepalese grazers of Kaziranga were paying grazer tax to the government since before 1900 A.D. But, the British government evicted them illegally and forcefully from the reserve and their houses were burnt down in 1920. This dastardly act of the British government was recorded in history. (Upadhyay 127,130-134)