Assam Modern (Social and Political) History Link for Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSRITi8Z_Ow

1. Modern History Assam

2. From colonialism towards Independence
• Tezpur Ryot Sabha formed in Tezpur [before INC]
• 1885- Kali Krishna Barkakoti- sent to INC as Assam’s
delegate
• 1916- AASU was formed
• 1921- Tezpur District Congress Committee was formed
• MK Gandhi visted 2 times- 1921 & 1934 [Civil
Disobedience Movement]
• 1942 [Quit India Movement]
• Mrityu Bahini- Role of Assamese Women for freedom
struggle
• Martyrs- Kushal Konwar, Hem Baruah, maniram
Dewan, Kanaklata Baruah, Bhogeswari Phukanani

3. NorthEast after Independence
•Nagaland was created in 1963.
•Megahalaya was created in
1972.
•Arunachal Pradesh (NEFA) and
Mizoram were carved out as
Union territories in 1972.
•Both attained statehood in
1986

4. Assam Movement
• Assam movement or Assam Agitation (1979-
85)
• A 6 years pan-Assam movement against illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh.
• Following riots Parliament passed Illegal
Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act,
1983 [Supreme Court put it aside in 2005] [https://carnegieindia.org/2016/06/29/illegal-
immigration-from-bangladesh-to-india-toward-comprehensive-solution-pub-63931]
• This led to the creation of Assam Accord.

5. Assam Accord
• A bipartite MoS between Govt of India and
leaders of Assam Movement (AASU & AAGSP),
15 Aug,1985
• Objective of the Accord: (All Bangladeshi Illegal
immigrants who have come on of after 25 March,1971)
-To detect
-To delete names from the electoral rolls
-To deport under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• Citizenship Act was amended for the 1st time
in 1986 [Recent in 2019]

6. Signatories of the Accord
Representatives of Assam Movement
• Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, President, All Assam Students
Union
• Bhrigu Kumar Phukan, General Secretary, All Assam
Students Union
• Biraj Kumar Sarma, General Secretary, All Assam Gana
Sangram Parishad
Representatives of Governments of India and Assam
• R D Pradhan, Home Secretary, Government of India
• P P Trivedi, Chief Secretary, Government of Assam
In the presence of
• Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India

7. Modern day Assam
• Statehood- 26 January, 1950
• Capital- Dispur [Guwahati] [1972]
• Official languages- Assamese
• Additional- Bengali/Bodo/English
• State animal- One horned Rhinocerous
• 33 Administrative districts
• 54 Mahakumas (Subdivisions)
• Legislature- 126 seats
• Rajya Sabha- 7 seats
• Lok Sahbha- 14
• Area rank- 16 (following Jharkhand in 15th)
• Population rank- 15 (following Jharkhand in 14th)
• Literacy- 72.19%

8. Geography of Assam
• Contains 3/6 physiographic divisions of India-Northern Himalayas
(Eastern hills), Northern Plains (Brahmaputra valley), Deccan
Plateau (Karbi Anglong)
• Climate- Tropical monsoon climate (35–38 °C in summer, and 6–8 °C
in winter)
• Receives heavy rainfall
• Experiences annual floods from rising river beds and Earthquakes.
• Rich biodiversity hotspot with several National Wildlife sanctuaries.
• Two UNESCO heritage sites, Kaziranga and Manas National Park.
• Remarkably rich in Orchid (Kaziranga national Orchid and
biodiversity parks hosts 500/1314 species of orchids found in India)
• Rich in petroleum, natural gas, coal.
• Assam is the first place in Asia for drilling oil.

9. National Parks and Biodiversity
• Kaziranga national Park- Golaghat/Karbi Anglong & Nagaon
• Orang National Park- Orang
• Nameri National Park- Sonitpur
• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park-Dibrugarh/Tinisukia
• Manas National Park-Baksa
• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary-Morigaon
• Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary-Sonitpur
• Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary- Sonitpur
• Panidihing Bird Sanctuary- Sibsagar
• Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary- Dibrugarh/Tinisukia
• Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary-Jorhat

10. Demographics of Assam
• Total population- 3,169,272
• Religions
• Hindu (61.47%)
• Muslim (34.22%)
• Christian (3.74%)
• Sikh (0.07%)
• Buddhist (0.18%)
• Jain (0.08%)
• Other religions (0.09%)
• Not stated (0.16%)

11. Languages
Language Assam India
Mishing 6,19,197 6,29,954
Karbi 5,11,732 5,28,503
Dimasa 1,31,474 1,37,184
Rabha 1,01,752 1,39,086
Tiwa ( recorded as Lalung in Census 2011) 31,821 33,921
Deori 27,441 32,376
Santhali 2,10,000 7,368,192
Nepali 5 lakh+ 2,926,168
•Assamese is the official language of the state
•Additional official languages-
Bodo in BTAD
Bengali in Barak valley.

12. Culture
• Traditionally hybrid and presently diverse in
nature.
• Tamulpan, Xorai and Gamusa are some of the
symbolic elements.
• Cuisines- Rice is the staple item with Non-veg
dominating, Xaj [traditional rice beer]
• Textile- Silk [Muga and Eri]
• Ambubachi Mela [The famous religious festival
held annually in Kamakhya Temple, worshipping
the goddess kamakhya]
• Dehing Patkai Festival

13. Folk Traditions & Music of Assam
Folk traditions
– Bihu
Dance
– Bwisagu
Dance
– Jhumur
• Ekasarana
Dharma
• Borgeet
• Sattra
• Bhaona
Music of Assam
—Goalpariya
lokageet
—Tokari geet
—Dihanaam
—Harinaam
—Dhol
—Gogona
—Pepa
Performing Arts
—Kushan nritya -
Rajbongshi
—Bagurumba - Bodos
— Banjar Kekan- Karbi
—Sattriya Dance-
Vaishnava
—Ankia nat- Vaishnava
—Bhortal Nritya - Barpeta
—Deodhani Nritya-
Darrang
—Ojapali - Darrang
—Beula Dance- Assamese
—Ka Shad Inglong Kardom-
Khasi
—Nimso Kerung- Karbi

14. Historical sites
• Sivadol [Historical Siva temple 10th century AD]-
Golaghat
• Kamakhya Temple- Guwahati
• Kamalabari Satra, Dakhinpat Satra, Garamurh
Satra -Majuli
• RangGhar, KarengGhar, Vishnudol, Sivadol
Joysagar, Gaurisagar, TalatalGhar - Sibsagar
• Umananda temple- Guwahati
• Madan Kamdev temple- kamrup
• Agnigarh, Mahabhairav Temple, Chitralekha
Udyan- Sonitpur
• Surya Pahar-Goalpara

15. Literature
• A rich & diverse canon of literature
• 3 eras, starts from 9-10th century AD
• 1st- Works on Sanskrit Scripts, Charyapada [Buddhist
ballads]
• 2nd- Translation works [Saptakanda ramayan 14th
century], Shankardeva, Madhavdeva,
• 3rd- English-Assamese Dictionary [M Bronson], Printing
press [1836], Arunodoi [1846], Jonaki [1889], Hemkosh
[Assamese Dictionary-1867], 1st Assamese Novel
[Mirijiyori-1894], Assamese Movie [Joymati-1935]
• Important figures- Madhav Kandali, Shankardeva,
Madhavdeva, Anandaram Dhekial Phukan, Gunabhiram
Baruah, Hemchandra Baruah, Laxminath Bezboruah,
Rajanikanta Bordoloi, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala

16. Economy
• GDP rank 17th
• 69% of population engaged in Agriculture.
• One of the largest producer of indigenous variety
of tea (camellia assamica) in the world.
• Major producer of Oil and natural gas in India.
• Un employment- 8.1% (2017-18)
• GDP by sector-
– Agriculture 17% in state economy
– Industry 39% in state economy
– Services 44% (2019-20) state economy

17. Important Industries
• Major Industries of Assam include Tea,
Petroleum, Plywood, Paper, Fertilizer, Cement,
Coal, Leather etc
• Others- Handloom, Sericuture, and Weaving
[Sualkuchii textile center of Assam, Muga, Eri
and Pat silk]
• Bell Metal industry [Sarthebari in Barpeta dist]
• Wood and Bamboo craft [Majuli]
• Tourism

18. Politics
• Head of State- Governor (Nominal) [Art 154]
• Head of Government- Chief Minister (Executive)
[Art 164]
• State Legislature- 126 seats
• First chief Minister- Gopinath Bordoloi (1946-50)
• 1952- First Election- Bishnu Ram Medhi
• 2016- 14th Election- Sarbananda Sonowal
• Seats in Lok Sabha:
—1951- 1st Lok sabha Election- 10 seats
—1957- 2nd Lok sabha Election- 12 seats
—1967- 4th Lok sabha Election- 14 seats

19. Some Ministers of Assam L Assembly
• Sarbananda Sonowal- CM, GAD, SAD, Personnel,
Administrative Reform and Training ( Assam Administrative
Staff College), Border Area Development, Social Welfare,
I&PR, Revenue, Disaster management, Power,
Implementation of Assam Accord
• Himanta Biswa Sarma-Education, Finance, Planning and
Development,PWD, Health and Family Welfare
• Pramila Rani Brahma-Environment and Forests, Soil
Conservation and Mines and Mineral departments
• Pallab Lochan Das-Labour and Employment and Tea Tribes
Welfare
• Naba Kumar Doley-MoS(I/C) Panchayati Raj and Rural
Development, Youth Welfare and Cultural Affairs