People of India: Tripura

The Anthropological Survey of India launched the People of India project on 2nd October 1985 to generate an anthropological profile of all communities of India and to highlight the impact on them of change and the development process and the links that brought them together. As part of this all-India project the ethnographic survey of Tripura was taken up for the first time. Seventy-eight communities were identified and studied. Tripura combines the ethnographic characteristics of eastern and north-eastern India. Historically it derives its identity from the Tipera or Tripuri, an ancient tribe which was part of Kirat or the Indo-Mongoloid stream. Tripura received waves of immigrants from many parts of the country. After partition, the influx of refugees from across the international border upset the demographic balance and further reduced tribals to a minority, causing enormous pressure to build up on tribal resources and sparking off tribal resistance in various forms. Remedial action followed, including the extension of the Sixth Schedule and the deepening of the concept of autonomy to include the developmental function. This book presents an ethnographic profile of all communities which made Tripura their home, of their history and migration ecology and food habits, social organization, religion, economy and occupation, and impact of change and development. Tripura is linguistically heterogeneous with as many as 23 languages being spoken. Some of the ethnographic traits of Tripura communities which stand out in relation to those of the rest of the country are: a higher degree of non-vegetarianism, a large number of middle ranking communities, clan endogamy, a higher level of participation of women in economy, gradual extension of plough cultivation and survival of shifting cultivation, the manifestations of tribal religion with a thin veneer of sanskritisation, vigorous forms of folk arts and folk traditions. K. S. Singh is former Director General, Anthropological Survey of India. Prof. J. Gan Chaoudhry is Assistant Professor in Political Science, B. B. Evening College. S. Sailo, Additional Director, Directorate of Welfare for Scheduled Caste, Government of Tripura. M. S. Dutta, now retired, was Anthropologist (Cultural), Anthropological Survey of India.