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Chor Chaporis

2020 NOV 5

Preliminary   > Geography   >   Geomorphology   >   Geomorphology

Why in news?

  • Assam State government's rejection of a  proposal for a “Miya museum” reflecting the “culture and heritage of the people living in char-chaporis” has stirred up a controversy in Assam.

About Chor Chaporis:

  • A char is a floating island while chaporis are low-lying flood-prone riverbanks.
  • The terms are used interchangeably or with a hyphen as a char can become a chapori, or vice versa, depending on the push and pull of the Brahmaputra.
  • The population of chars stood at 24.90 lakh as per a socio-economic survey in 2002-03.
  • While Bengali-origin Muslims primarily occupy these islands, other communities such as Misings, Deoris, Kocharis, Nepalis also live here.

Who are the Miyas?

  • The ‘Miya’ community comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam.
  • They came to be referred to as ‘Miyas’, often in a derogatory manner.
  • The community migrated in several waves — starting with the British annexation of Assam in 1826, and continuing into Partition and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
  • The community has a distinct culture with a variety of songs (bhatiali related to the river, magan geet or harvest songs, noi khelor geet or boat songs etc), instruments and equipment to catch fish, as well as different kinds of boats along with an ancient performative martial art called the Lathibari.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements: 
1.A “Beel” is a lake-like wetland  in Brahmaputra flood plains of Assam.
2.“Bugyals” are alpine pasture lands found in Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
    
Answer to prelims question