Assam

Area. 78,438 sq km: Population. 26.6 mn (scheduled caste: 7%, scheduled tribes: 13%); Language: Assamese

The lush valley of the Brahmaputra, one of the world’s great rivers, provides the setting for Assam’s culturally rich and diverse communities. Although it is tea which has given the state a world name, the fertile river valley has been the home to generations of rice farmers, and tribal populations continue to have a significant presence in parts of the state. The land: Assam stretches nearly 800 km from east to west, the length of the narrow floor of the Brahmaputra Valley. The Himalaya to the north and the Shillong Plateau to the south can be clearly seen. The state is dominated by the Brahmaputra, one of the great rivers of the world, which has a fertile alluvial plain for growing rice and is also famous for tea. Earthquakes are common, that in 1950 being estimated as the fifth biggest earthquake ever recorded. Climate: Avoid the monsoon! Assam is in one of the wettest monsoon belts in the world. Even the central Brahmaputra valley, protected by the rain shadow of the Shillong Plateau, has over 1,600 mm of annual rainfall. The rest of the Assam Valley has up to 3,200 mm a year, mostly concentrated between May and September. Although summer temperatures are high, from December to March it can be cold, especially at night.

History The Ahoms, a Shan ruling tribe, arrived in the area in the early 13th century, deposed the ruler and established the kingdom of Assam’ with its capital in Sibsagar. They later intermixed with Aryan stock and also with existing indigenous peoples (Morans, Chutiyas) and most converted to Hinduism. The Mughals made several attempts to invade without success, but the Burmese finally invaded Assam at the end of the 18th century and held it almost continuously until it was ceded to the East India Company in 1826. The British administered it in name until 1947 though many areas were beyond their effective control. People: The ethnic origin of the Assamese varies from Mongoloid tribes to those of directly Indian stock, but the predominant language is Assamese, similar to Bengali. There has been a steady flow of Muslim settlers from Bengal since the late 19th century. Nearly 90% of the people continue to live in rural areas.

Modern Assam The Assam Valley is in a strategically sensitive corridor for India, lying close to the Chinese frontier. Its sensitivity has been increased by the tension between local Assamese and immigrant groups. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi achieved an Accord in 1985 with the AASU (All Assam Students Union).

The Assam Gana Parishad (AGP), the opposition party, emerged as a result of the struggles. The Congress Government negotiated accords with various tribal groups for greater auton omy at the district level to counter the rise of secessionist movements but the Bodo Liberation Front continues to operate from bases along the Bhutan-Assam border. After five years in power at the State Assembly the AGP under the Chief Minister Prafulla Mohanta lost power in the May 2001 Assembly elections to the Congress. His attempts to form an alliance with various minor political parties in the state, including the BJP, failed to deliver popular support in a state where minorities hold the key to about 40 Assembly seats.

The multi-ethnic nature of the state has always made alliances, whether within or between parties, essential to successful government. The failure of the AGP to hold its alliance together and to control the violence which has become endemic through Assam contributed to its downfall. Assam is still a dangerous region to be active in politics. In the last assembley Assembly elections as many as seven widows of assassinated politicians were contesting the polls.

Wildlife The state government has designated several wildlife sanctuaries as national parks which attract higher entry fees from foreigners (Rs. 175), only a part of which goes towards wildlife and habitat preservation.