Mohan Rao Palleti said:
> I seriously think that the Assam government should provide them with a
> assamese status and no longer call them adivasis. Adivasi means
> aborigines. They may have been aborigines from another state with a
> distinct culture.
you are probably unaware that the assam government cannot profer the status of
assamese on the santals. or anyone for that matter. as far as i am aware, the
many definitions of assamese that go around these days do not exclude them.
also, traditionally, they are called chaotals (santals), and in assamese
literature they are celebrated for their straightforwardness and militancy:
"chaotal maradar dhanur kar jen lakhyabhedi eku ekuta xobdo mur" -- hiren
bhattacharya. the same militancy is now on display. and adivasi is not an
appellation imposed on them, but something which some of them themselves
prefer (aasaa -- all adivasi students association of assam).
x
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