Transformation and Consolidation of Bodo Identity: An Enquiry into the Role of the Middle Class

Abstract

The complex trajectory of identity assertion by the Bodos, the largest plains tribe of Assam, a state of northeast India, is an interesting area of research. The study begins with a brief survey of the contemporary literature on the relationship between particularistic identities and ‟national integration‟ and then goes on to conceptualize the different stages of nationality formation in order to locate the precise stage of identity consciousness among the Bodos. The different stages of identity assertion have been dealt with in a critical manner and an attempt has been made to examine whether the emerging educated middle class has been playing a catalytic role in the transformation and consolidation of the Bodo national identity and whether the demand for a separate Bodoland reflects the interests of this middle class.