Socio-Economic Structure of Boro and Rabha in Assam:

A Comparative Analysis

Bipul Kumar Rabha

Introduction
There are total twenty three notified Schedule Tribes (STs) in Assam. Among them-Boro, Miri,
Mikir, Rabha, Kachari, Lalung, Dimasa and Deori are identified as major STs in the state. As per 2001
census, there are 33,08,570 STs in Assam, constituting 12.4 per cent of the total population of the state.
The state has registered 15.1 per cent decadal growth of ST population in 1991-2001. In this short article,
we are going to compare socio-economic structures of two STs in the state viz., Boro and Rabha. The
Census Operation, 2001 and Statistical Hand Book of Assam, 2005 are the main data source of the
analysis.

Population: Size & Distribution

There are 13,52,771 Boros which constitutes 40.9 per cent of total ST population and 5 per cent
of the total population in the state. On the other hand, there are 2,77,517 Rabhas which constitutes 8.4
percent of total ST population and 1 per cent of total population of the state.

Table 1: District Wise Total, Rural & Urban Population of Boro and Rabha
District Boro Rabha
Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban
Kokrajhar 2,87,268 2,75,944 11,324 13,012 12,924 88
Dhubri 22,208 21,678 530 10,133 10,045 88
Goalpara 36,948 36,600 348 93,912 92,803 1,109
Bongaigaon 1,02,610 99,238 3,372 6,700 6,420 280
Borpeta 1,17,120 1,16,081 1,039 4,144 4,129 15
Kamrup 1,40,023 1,18,707 21,316 88,191 84,483 3,708
Nalbari 1,76,576 1,76,447 129 17,563 17,550 13
Darrang 2,07,878 2,04,630 3,248 32,331 31,707 624
Marigaon 12,149 11,970 179 66 54 12
Nagaon 18,636 18,097 539 23,63 2,301 62
Sonitpur 1,40,293 1,38,686 1,607 4,256 4,082 174
Lakhimpur 8,194 7,955 239 175 152 23
Dhemaji 42,991 42,566 425 1,878 1,844 34
Tinsukia 1,939 1,698 241 830 794 36
Dibrugarh 3,529 3,016 513 371 279 92
Sibsagar 3,136 2,979 157 108 84 24
Jorhat 4,787 4,534 253 132 78 54
Golaghat 26,106 25,607 499 1,307 1,261 46
Cachar 272 266 6 37 7 30
Karimganj 98 25 73 1 0 1
Hailakandi 10 5 5 7 1 6
Total 13,52,771 13,06,729 46,042 2,77,517 2,70,998 6,519
Source: Census Operation, 2001.
District wise (before formation of BTAD) population data of Boro shows that 21.24 per cent of
total Boro population belongs to Kokrajhar district. Other two districts followed by Kokrajhar are
Darrang and Nalbari, constituting 15.36 and 13.05 per cent respectively. On the other hand, 33.84 per
cent of total Rabha population belongs to Goalpara districts. Other districts followed by Goalpara are
Kamrup and Darrang, constituting 31.78 and 11.65 per cent respectively. There is no Boro and Rabha
population in Karbi-Anglong and North Cachar district.
There are not so much rural urban differences between the two tribes. 96.60 and 3.4 per cent Boro
population is recorded as rural and urban respectively of total Boro population in the state. On the other
hand, 97.65 and 2.35 per cent Rabha population belong to rural and urban respectively of total Rabha
population of the state.

Sex Ratio
Sex ratio of both the tribes is more than all Assam level. As per 2001 census, all Assam sex ratio
is 935. Comparing the sex ratio between Boro and Rabha tribes, sex ratio of Boro is more than Rabha.
There are 981 female per 1000 male Boro population, while it is 971 female per 1000 male Rabha
population.

Literacy Rate & Higher Educational Level

Comparing the literacy rate of the two tribes, it is recorded that literacy rate of the Boro is 61.3
per cent which is lower than all Assam level, 63.25 per cent. Male literacy rate consists of 71.4 per cent
and female 51.1 per cent. On other hand, it is recorded that literacy rate of Rabha is 66.7 per cent which is
above the all Assam level. Male literacy consists of 76.2 per cent and female 57.0 per cent.
There are 335 Boros who have technical diploma and 14,737 Boros have degree of graduation
and above. On the contrary, there are 52 Rabhas who have technical diploma and 2,058 Rabhas have
degree of graduation and above.

Work Participation Rate (WPR)

Working Participation Rate (WPR) of both the tribes in case of main workers is lower than the all
Assam level. All Assam level of main workers is recorded 74.58 per cent and rest 25.42 per cent as
marginal workers of the total workers of the state. In case of Boro tribe, there are 39.21 per cent main
workers which is more than Rabha, 28.65 per cent. There are 60.79 per cent Boro marginal workers
which is lower than the Rabha, 71.35 per cent. Table 2 reveals detail of WPR of the two tribes.

Table 2: Distribution of Total, Main & Marginal Workers of Boro and Rabha
Tribe Total Main Workers Marginal Workers
Name Workers (Percentage of (Percentage of
total workers) total workers)
Boro 65,167 25,555 (39.21%) 39,612 (60.79%)
Rabha 10,452 2,994 (28.65%) 7,458 (71.35%)
Source: Census operation, 2001.

Marital Status
Census report shows that 56.5 per cent Boro and 55.1 per cent Rabha population never married.
40.0 per cent and 40.7 per cent of Boro and Rabha population currently married. Percentage of widowed
in Rabha (4.0 per cent) is more than Boro (3.3 per cent). Percentage of divorced or separated population is
same in both the tribes (0.2 per cent).

Boro and Rabha by Religious Community

Hinduism is the dominant religion of both the tribes. Followed by Hinduism, other two religions
of the two tribes are Christianity and Muslims. 90 per cent of the Boros are Hindu and 9 per cent
Christian. Likewise, 96 per cent of Rabhas belong to Hindu and 5 per cent Christian.
 Table 3: Number of Boro and Rabha by Religious Community
Tribe Hindus Muslims Christians Sikhs Buddhists Jain Others Religion
Name s not sated
Boro 12,21,688 2,964 1,27,154 37 377 46 141 364
Rabha 2,68,036 382 8,960 7 38 12 29 53
Source: Census Operation, 2001.

Conclusions
The comparative analysis of socio-economic structures of the two tribes Boro and Rabha, we
have found that the Rabhas are more backwards than the Boros in various socio-economic variables. This
is the proof why the Boros have got separate autonomous territories. Apart from the above, a very
important variable is language. As per census 1991, 20 per cent of Rabhas do not speak the Rabha
language (Debadatta Barkataki et al, 2003). The reason may be ignorance of the language and lack of
interest to speak. This problem is not seen among the Boros.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Ramen Singh Rabha and Abdul Haque Ahmed sir, lecturer of
Bikali College, Dhupdhara. Also thanks to Kishore Kumar Rabha, President of Dhupdhara Anchalik
Rabha Students’ Union and Pratul Rabha, subject teacher of Daranggiri Higher Secondary School for
keeping regular touches with me.

References
Debadatta Barkakati et al, (2003): “Experiment in Rabha Language Development”, State Resource
Center, Assam, India.
Census Operation, Government of India, Assam State, 2001.
Statistical Hand Book, Government of Assam, 2005.