Socio-economic Problems Since the Partition: -A Study of the Barak Valley of The North-East India by Bibhash Choudhary Ranjan

The Barak Valley of Assam, alongwith the district of Sylhet were amputated from Bengal in 1874 and tagged to Assam to make it a Chief Commissioner’s State. This change, however, had a little impact on the life of the people of the valley, then known as Surma Valley together with Sylhet, as the change pertained to the administration of revenue only. But the partition rendered the valley totally landlocked and enclaved in Assam. Its economy began to crumble in consequence and its people were made to understand that, under changed circumstances, they were seen as strangers in their homeland itself. A feeling of identity crisis has been haunting them thenceforth. Mr. Lal Krishna Advani once said, “Partition cannot be undone, but some of the follies of partition can be undone and they must be undone.” June 27, India Today 2005). The folly lying in tagging the Barak Valley with Assam without any definite policy to safeguard the socio – cultural identity of its people still remains to be undone. This book is an attempt to unfold the story of the valley untold so far and bridge up a knowledge gap about the valley in the literature of socio – economic consequences of the partition.