The Tiwas, popularly known as Lalungs are a lesser known plains tribe of Assam whose concentrations are located mainly in the Nagaon district and the foot hill areas of Karbi Anglong district of Assam. We do not get sufficient scientific information about the Tiwas in the writings of the pre-Independence authors, although a good number of accounts, reports, ethnographies on the Assam tribes were written by them. Even after Independence no systematic study was undertaken on the life and culture of the Tiwas living in both plains and hills of Assam. Barring one or two publications in book form and a few articles in souvenirs and monthlies in Assamese language, no scientific study has been made catering to the academic needs of anthropologists, researchers, administrators and general readers.
The author, while collecting data about the Tiwas, visited the far flung Tiwa villages of Nagaon district who are living in abject poverty far from the madding crowd. To collect data about the Rajas, frequent contacts had to be made with the Gobha Raja. The Tiwas and for that matter most of the tribes of Assam are indifferent to propaganda and because of lack of publicity, they are not known outside Assam. Even in Assam, most of the people do not know the life and culture of the Tiwas. At best they know that there is a community known as Lalungs in the Nagaon district which is conspicuous by its backwardness.
In this background, the Tribal Research Institute, Assam had entrusted me with the task of writing a monograph on the Lalungs. Although the data for the present book were collected a few years back, updating of the same was done by undertaking recent visits to the Lalung villages during last two years. As mentioned earlier, the aim of the publication is to focus the life and culture of the Tiwas specially outside Assam. The emphasis has been given more on traditional monographic style leaving other aspects like changing pattern, occupational mobility etc. for future study.
The author extends his heartfelt thanks to Shri Dharmaram Bordoloi of Jagiroad, Sri Ganesh Chandra Senapati, Shri Balai Ram Senapati of Barapujia, Shri Rameswar Konwar of Jagi Bhakatgaon for their co-operation and assistance during the collection of data from the Lalung villages of Nagaon district. The villagers of Bakarigaon offered all help ungrudgingly and the author extends his gratitude to them.
I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Shri U. C. Sarania, LA.S., Special Secretary, Welfare of plains Tribes and Backward Classes Department, Government of Assam, but for whose assistance the present book would not have seen the light of the day.
Shri Samir Choudhury of Gauhati deserves thanks for supplying a few photographs of the Lalungs which are incorporated in this publication.
Last but not least I express my sincere thanks to Shri Balabhadra Baishya and Srimati Utpala Roy of Tribal Research Institute, Assam for their meticulous typing of the manuscript.
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