The people of the Deori community are said to have lived in the North-east region of India since long ago. They lived in this Indian region since the time Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were not segregated into two different states. After the rampant massacre and other barbaric atrocities, the tribe was subjected to following lands of Assam being invaded by the Burmese troops, they were forced to migrate from their original homes to somewhere down the river bank. After entering this new land, they took up the name of the river that brought them to their new territory and derived the names of their respective clans. Some started following the rules and regulations imposed by the ruler of this territory they migrated to. While some retained their indigenous Deori beliefs and practices that they had been following since long.
The Deori tribe is now identified as a distinct community of its own and is registered as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) complete with an autonomous council. Their folklore passed down through generations binds their past heavily to the Chutia kingdom. According to the Deori legends, long ago Goddess Tamreswari took the guise of a huge stone and floated down the Dibang River. The then king, referred to as Bhismak summoned many strong men to go and take the stone off the river and put it in its assigned place, but none of them were able to lift the stone off. However, four special men from the Chutia kingdom came forward and took up the task. Instead, of trying to lift the stone, the four divine men knelt down in utmost devotion and sincerity and began praying to the Goddess. The Goddess was extremely satisfied with their devotion and the stone became weightless. The four men then carried the stone to the kingdom’s temple. The king was happy with their work and appointed them as the highest priests who later on went on to become the patrons of the four separate clans the Deori people find themselves divided into.
Deoris initially inhabited the eastern parts of Assam when it wasn’t divided. The tribal folklore puts forth the claim that they were the inhabitants of the foothills of Patkai and Joidam along with the Brahmaputra upper plains. During the Burmese aggression, ‘Maan’ as the Deoris refer to it from the year of 1817 to the year of 1826, the tribe was rampantly massacred leading to humongous loss of lives. Some were killed and some held captive. Another tragedy struck the Deori tribe when the catastrophic earthquake in the year of 1869 shook the land of Assam, leaving the community distorted. Uncertain about what the future holds, the remaining Deoris ferried down the river by bringing to use makeshift rafts using bamboo and banana plantations. Left with no other choice, they got scattered in order to settle down in different territories along the river bed. As they migrated to new territories, they took up the name of the river as the name of their respective clans. Deoris, who migrated to lands ruled by a ruler, followed the law of that particular land. Those, who took up space in lands with less strict rules by the ruler there, continued with their traditional practices and upheld their dialect.
According to experts like Bishnu Prasad Rabha, the Pator-gaya clan is suspected to have amalgamated with the Tiwa tribe of central Assam, but there is no solid evidence to back up the speculation. This caused a particular group belonging to the Deori tribe to unearth the truth which led to a search.
An extensive investigation by the Jimachaya Giyan Aru Juktibadi Samaj brought out a positive revelation of some Deoris inhabiting the Kachin district along with proximal areas to Yangon near Myanmar. There is research going on in Myanmar to locate more of the lost clan. The people from the Dibongiya class converse in their own indigenous language apart from Assamese, but most of the other three clans barring some of the older generations are only fluent in Assamese and have it as their mother tongue.
Next, we will see how the Deoris built their social life and it is as engaging as every other aspect about this lesser known, indigenious tribe. Watch this space to learn more about them.