Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachali Chakma
𑄃𑄧𑄢𑄪𑄚𑄌𑄧𑄣𑄴 𑄇𑄪𑄣𑄴𑄣𑄳𑄠 𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦
A chakma village Deban, next to Namdapha National Park
Total population
47,073 (2011)[1]
3.4% of the Arunachal Pradesh population
Regions with significant populations
Changlang District40,225
     • Diyun23,072
     • Miao10,464
     • Bordumsa5,227
     • Kharsang1,442
Namsai District4,789
     • Chongkham4,538
Papum Pare District2,027
     • Balijan2,011
Languages
Chakma language
Religion
Predominantly:
Theravada Buddhism 98.5% ^
Minority:
Christianity 1.5%[a]
Related ethnic groups
^ Nearly 100% of the chakmas who follow Buddhism follow the Theravada lineage with partially visible components from their folk tradition.

Chakmas[b] in Arunachal Pradesh, India are primarily found in three districts: Changlang, Namsai and Papum Pare.[3]

According to the 2011 census, there were 47,073 chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh equivalent to 3.4% of the total states' population.[1]

History

North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), now Arunachal Pradesh, like the Chittagong Hill Tracts from whence Chakma was traditionally administered as an excluded area with minimum interference. The British policy in this area was one of non-interference. Taking over the administration of this turbulent and wild country was not rewarding enough. Following independence, Nehru made little changes to NEFA's administrative policy, opting instead for a philosophy of Minimum Interference based on anthropologist and Nehru’s adviser on tribal affairs Dr. Verrier Elwin's "A Philosophy for NEFA." Nehru had said,

I am not at all sure which is better way of living, the tribal or our own. In some respects I am quite certain there’s is better. Therefore, it is grossly presumptuous on our part to approach them with an air of superiority to tell them how to behave or what to do or not to do. There is no point in trying to make to them a second copy of ourselves.

The policy of Minimum Interference was designed to strike a balance between the two extreme positions of isolation of the tribal people of NEFA on the one hand and total unscientific assimilation of these tribal people with outside world on the other. NEFA was more of an administrative unit designation rather than a proper name for an important and integral portion of India with its own identity. The Chinese aggression drew the attention of the rest of the subcontinent in the region in 1962 and stunned the country's policymakers and prompting a significant shift in the India's administrative policy toward this area. Nehru’s policy of “minimum interference” drew flak from the opposition parties. This policy was criticised as “Museum of Specimen Approach‟ and was blamed for non-integration of the area and non-assimilation of the tribal people with rest of the country, to fatal consequences. Nehru’s government was cornered by the opposition and the NEFA was transferred from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the IFAS officers were merged with the IAS and the IPS, and the isolationist policy was reversed. People's political participation at all levels was widely believed to be the greatest method to integrate the region with the country.[4]

Partition of India

Chakmas are the victim of the partition of India in 1947. The partition of India was determined by religious composition and population of different regions.[5] The sparsely populated Chittagong Hill Tracts were a special case. Located on the eastern limits of Bengal, it provided the Muslim-majority Chittagong with a hinterland. Despite the Tracts' 98.5% Buddhist majority in 1947[6] the territory was given to Pakistan.

Education

Literacy rates of villages

Village Circle Literacy %
(2011) 		Population
Literate Total
Avoipur Diyun 48.85% 962 1,969
Diyun H.Q. Diyun 86.76% 1,553 1,790
Dumpani Diyun 55.45% 1,281 2,311
Dumpather Diyun 53.45% 1,142 2,136
Gautompur Diyun 31.32% 760 2,426
Jyotipur Diyun 54.89% 1,188 2,164
Jyotsnapur Diyun 46.06% 1,108 2,407
Kamakhyapur Diyun 46.55% 320 688
Maitripur Diyun 45.7% 968 2,117
Mudoi Diyun 38.58% 355 919
Mudoidip Diyun 29.07% 613 2,109
Rajanagar Diyun 63.51% 260 410
Shantipur Diyun 50.8% 450 886
Udoipur Diyun 39.92% 1,279 3,203

Culture

Religion

Religious makeup of Arunachali Chakmas
Buddhism
 
 98.5%
Theravada
 
 98.0%
Vajrayana, Mahayana
 
 0.5%
Christianity
 
 1.5%
Protestants
 
 1.5%

Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh predominantly follow Theravada lineage of Buddhism. Buddhist organisations enjoy strong hold in the society. They actively participate in decision making and tend to influence believes over the community. Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh have been keen in practising non-violence influenced by Buddhist missionaries from Chittagong Hill Tracts and Thailand.

There are about 700-1000(about 1.5-2.5%) Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh who follow Christianity. Christians among the Chakmas mostly reside in Deban, Kamakhyapur and Gautompur.

Areca Nut Industry

Chakmas are engaged vastly in Areca Nut plantations. In the last few decades Chakmas moved from agriculture to Areca Nut plantations. Regions like Diyun in Arunachal Pradesh vastly export Areca Nut to the other parts of the country.

Geographic distribution

District Sub-district Ethnic Chakmas % Ref(s)
Sub-district District Sub-district District
Changlang Diyun 23,072 40,225 72.1% 27.1% [1]
Miao 10,464 40.4% [1]
Bordumsa 5,227 18% [1]
Kharsang 1,442 10% [1]
Namtok 8 [1]
Changlang 6 [1]
Jairampur 2 [1]
Nampong 2 [1]
Manmao 1 [1]
Vijoynagar 1 [1]
Namsai Chongkham 4,538 4,728 20.6% 5% [1]
Piyong 173 1.7% [1]
Namsai 31 [1]
Papum Pare Balijan 2,011 2027 30.1% 12% [1]
Itanagar 8 [1]
Naharlagun 8 [1]
Lohit Tezu 25 67 [1]
Sunpura 20 [1]
Wakro 2 [1]
East Siang Pasigath 11 11 [1]
Anjaw Manchal 4 8 [1]
Hawai 2 [1]
Hayuliang 2 [1]
Lower Dibang Valley Roing 3 3 [1]
Tirap Namsang 2 3 [1]
Khonsa 1 [1]
Lower Subansiri Ziro 1 1 [1]
Tawang Jang 1 1 [1]
Upper Siang Tuting 1 1 [1]

Villages & Communities

East

West

  • Papum Pare District
    • Balijan Sub-district
      • Chakma - I
      • Chakma - II
      • Chakma - III
      • Chakma - IV
      • Chakma - V
      • Chakma - VI
      • Chakma - VII
      • Chakma - VIII
      • Chakma - IX
      • Chakma - X

Bibliography

  • National Human Rights Commission v. State of Arunachal Pradesh & Anr, 1996 AIR 1234, 1996 SCC (1) 742 (Supreme Court of India, 9 January 1996).

Notes

  1. ^ According to Joshua Project’s state-level estimates for Arunachal Pradesh, there are approximately 700 Chakma people in Arunachal Pradesh who are Christians, which is about 1.5% of the total Chakma population in Arunachal Pradesh.[2]
  2. ^ Chakma: 𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦, romanized: cangmha
    Chakma pronunciation: [ˈtʃɑːkmə, 'tʃaŋmə]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: India". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022. See 'Chakma'. Since Chakma are not recorded as an ethnicity in all states where they live (such as Arunachal Pradesh) language is the best method to estimate their population in India.
  2. ^ "India, Arunachal Pradesh state people groups | Joshua Project". joshuaproject.net. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  3. ^ National Human Rights Commission v. State of Arunachal Pradesh & Anr., AIR 1234 (Supreme Court of India 9 January 1996).
  4. ^ Haldipur, R. N. (1966-07-21). "NEFA: An Introduction". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Archives, The National. "The National Archives - Homepage". The National Archives. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  6. ^ Khisha, Mukur K. (1998). All That Glisters. Minerva Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1861060525.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.