The Miyas of Assam, and their char-chapori culture

Context

• “Miya museum” reflecting the “culture and heritage of the people living in char-chaporis was proposed.

Key points

Char-Chaporis

• Char-chaporis are shifting riverine islands of the Brahmaputra and are primarily inhabited by the Muslims of Bengali-origin (pejoratively referred to as ‘Miyas’).
• A char is a floating island while chaporis are low-lying flood-prone riverbanks.
• The areas are prone to floods and erosion and are marked by low development indices.

Miya Community

• The ‘Miya’ community comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam. They came to be referred to as ‘Miyas’.
• The community migrated in several waves, starting with the British annexation of Assam in 1826, and continuing into Partition and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation Wave.
• It has resulted in changes in demographic composition of the region.
• Miyas have often been stereotyped and derided as “Bangladeshi”.
• ‘Miya’ community feels that like other ethnic groups, they too should celebrate their own culture and heritage within the larger Assamese fold.