1947-1971 History of India






Assam since 1971


Administration : The position of chief minister of Assam, from 1947 to 1978 by the Indian National Congress (INC), from 1978 to 1979 by the Janata Party, from 1980 to 1985 by the INC, from 1985 to 1990 by the Assam People's Association (AGP), from 1991 to 1996 by the INC, from 1996 to 2001 by the AGP, since 2001 by the INC.

Annals : 1971 : a separate state of Meghalaya created, carved out of Assam territory. The Assam capital of Shillong located in Meghalaya
1971 : martial law in East Bengal (Pakistan) caused a massive exodus of refugees; Assam established refugee camps. Later in 1971, the Third Indo-Pakistani War resulted in the independence of Bangladesh.
1972 : the Muslim Bengali refugees who entered Assam in 1971 were repatriated to Bangladesh. The capital of Assam was moved from Shillong (now in Meghalaya) to Dispur near Guwahati (Gauhati). State elections were held; the INC formed a government. Mizoram was constituted as a separate union territory (BBoY 1972).
1978 : state elections held; the Janata Party formed a government..
1979 : begin of Assam agitation, a campaign aiming at the disenfranchisement of Bengali immigrants; begin of the ULFA insurgency
1983 : state elections held, boycotted by the opposition agitating for disenfranchisement of (Bengali) immigrants; the INC formed a government. The election was accompanied by riots; c.1,300 fatalities. A barbed wire fence was erected along the border to Bangladesh (BBoY 1984).
1985 : Assam Accord signed between Assam agitators, Indian government
1985 : state elections held; AGP formed a government.
1987 : The Bodos resumed an agitation campaign for the independence of Bodoland.
1988 : AGP joined the National Front, an organization composed of several political parties challenging the INC (BBoY 1989).
1989 : The National Front won nationwide elections, formed a government. Assam did not participate in the election, because the revision of voters' lists had not been completed yet (BBoY 1990).
1991 : state elections held; the INC formed a government. Assam insurgents accepted a ceasefire on Dec. 17th (BBoY 1992)
1993 : Bodo Accord; soon afterward violent clashes, 70,000 displaced
1994 : Assam University at Silchar established
1996 : state elections held; AGP formed a government.
2001 : state elections held; the INC formed a government.
2003 : Bodoland Territorial Council established

Social History : In 1971 the population of Assam was 14.9 million, in 1981 19.9 million, in 1991 22.4 million, in 2001 26.6 million.
The Statesman's Yearbook, based on censi, gives the literacy rate of Assam as 28.74 % in 1971, in 1991 52.89 %, in 2001 64.28 % (71.93 % for men). In 1991, 67.9 % of the population were Hindu, 28.5 % Muslim.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		History of the Assam Legislative Assembly
History of Assam, from Wikipedia
Article Assam Agitation, from Wikipedia
Article Assam Accord, from Wikipedia
Article AGP, from Wikipedia
Article Bodoland, from Wikipedia
Article National Front (India), from Wikipedia
Article United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), from Wikipedia
History of Assam University
Assam, from Global Security
K.P.S. Gill, Assam : Key to Peace in the Northeast, posted by SATP
DOCUMENTS World Statesmen : India, by Ben Cahoon
Historical Population Statistics : India, by province (J. Lahmeyer)
List of Members since 1937, from Assam Legislative Assembly
Statistical Reports of State Elections, from Election Commission of India
REFERENCE Article : India, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1972 pp.355-358, 1973 pp.353-356, 1974 pp.361-364, 1975 pp.380-383, 1976 pp.403-405, 1977 pp.402-404, 1978 pp.434-436, 1979 pp.426-428, 1980 pp.431-433, 1981 pp.430-432, 1982 pp.428-430, 1983 pp.423-426, 1984 pp.425-428, 1985 pp.508-511, 701-702, 1986 pp.698-699, 1987 pp.473-475, 667-668, 1988 pp.431-432, 619-620, 1989 pp.431-432, 620-621, 1990 pp.448-450, 635-636, 1991 pp.430-432, 620-621, 1992 pp.402-404, 619-620, 1993 pp.404-406, 628-629, 1994 pp.404-406, 627-628, 1995 pp.419-420, 628-629, 1996 pp.416-418, 628-629, 1997 pp.430-432, 626-627, 2002 pp.437-438, 630-631 [G]
Article : India, in : The Statesman's Year-Book 1975-1976 pp.331-397, 1976-1977 pp.332-398, 1978-1979 pp.599-665, 1979-1980 pp.603-671, 1980-1981 pp.601-669, 1981-1982 pp.604-672, 1983-1984 pp.609-675, 1984-1985 pp.610-677, 1985-1986 pp.613-680, 1986-1987 pp.616-683, 1987-1988 pp.622-689, 1988-1989 pp.624-691, 1989-1990 pp.630-698, 1990-1991 pp.631-699, 1991-1992 pp.628-697, 1992-1993 pp.701-771, 1993-1994 pp.704-770, 1994-1995 pp.696-762, 1995-1996 pp.693-759, 1996-1997 pp.635-701, 1997-1998 pp.640-707, 1998-1999 pp.690-758, 2000 pp.796-872, 2001 pp.774-849, 2002 pp.805-885, 2003 pp.807-887, 2004 pp.810-891, 2005 pp.811-894, 2006 pp.808-890 [G]
Article : India, in : Americana Annual 1972 pp.336-341, 1973 pp.344-348, 1974 pp.290-293, 1976 pp.103, 289-292, 1988 pp.275-276, 1989 pp.273-276, 1990 pp.267-270, 1992 pp.276-278, 1993 pp.276-278, 1994 pp.275-277, 1998 pp.272-274, 2006 pp.204-206 [G]
Article : India, in : Yearbook on International Communist Affairs 1976 pp.279-287 (Robert H. Donaldson), 1980 pp.247-252 (Walter Andersen) [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on May 11th 2007

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