Community in news: Miyas of Assam

Community in news: Miyas of Assam

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society

In news

• Recently, a proposed Miya museum reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in char-chaporis has stirred up a controversy in Assam.

Important value additions 

Miyas of Assam

• The ‘Miya’ community comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam.
• They came to be referred to as ‘Miyas’, often in a derogatory manner.
• The community migrated in several waves — starting with the British annexation of Assam in 1826, and continuing into Partition and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. 
• Their Migration has resulted in changes in demographic composition of the region.
• Years of discontent among the indigenous people led to the six-year-long (1979-85) anti-foreigner Assam Agitation to weed out the “illegal immigrant”, who was perceived as trying to take over jobs, language and culture of the indigenous population.

Char-chaporis

• Char-chaporis are shifting riverine islands of the Brahmaputra. 
• These are primarily inhabited by the Muslims of Bengali-origin.
• A char is a floating island while chaporis are low-lying flood-prone riverbanks.
• While Bengali-origin Muslims primarily occupy these islands, other communities such as Misings, Deoris, Kocharis, Nepalis also live here.