Oral Traditions and Folklores as Tools of Political Mobilization and Conflict Transformation among Ethnic Minority Groups in Assam, India’s Northeast

Abstract

Inter-ethnic violence and counter-violence have been at the center of writings on identity politics among ethnic groups in India’s Northeast. Yet, the existing literature on these aspects in India, especially in the Northeast region, has missed out on a very significant dimension. Very few studies have focused on the use of oral narratives and folklores as important methods that contribute to identity politics and conflict transformation among ethnic groups. Preliminary research suggests that ethnic violence in Northeast India exhibits variations in terms of the patterns of violence and state responses that shape the outcome of the conflicts. Oral narratives are the repositories of cultural reproduction of marginalized communities and serve as important tools that enable these communities to reclaim their identity, social justice and shape their agency. The aim of the paper is, therefore, to examine how and to what extent oral traditions and narratives in the form of folklore help mobilize marginalized ethnic groups in conflict zones in India’s Northeast. The paper uses the case study of the historically marginalized Bodo ethnic group to examine the linkages between folklore, identity construction, mobilization and peace.