Paper short abstract:

Based on ethnographic research in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. It will investigate (a) how colonial to post-colonial state imagined and reclaimed floodplains (b) how this imagination and reclamation of the space influences experiences and aspirations of those living in the floodplains.

Paper long abstract:

Britishers regularised settlements of the migrants in floodplains of the Indian state of Assam. This was done by reclaiming floodplains - making/unmaking of ‘reserve grazing grounds’. The goal was to extract revenue from floodplains.

Initially, these floodplains were reserved for the Nepali community for cattle grazing. But as they agitated against grazing fee, Britishers evicted them. They opened up of these 'reserves' to East-Bengal origin Muslims (Miyas), who continue to live there.

Miyas transformed the floodplains to food bowl. With time there was growing income, which allowed them to buy land elsewhere. There was fear of the migrants taking over all of the land. It made way from records of the colonial to post-colonial policies, particularly the 2019 Land Policy.

This land policy wants to re-reserve parts of floodplains for settling indigenous population, excluding the miyas. It declares any habitation in the floodplains as illegal. Remaining parts of the floodplains will be left fallow for flood drainage. Without land title, the miyas find it difficult to claim citizenship. They have to live as liminal citizen. Their lives highlight that citizenship is not a fixed construct, but hierarchies.

Based on ethnographic research, this paper seeks (a) how state imagines and reclaims particular space, (b) how this imagination and reclamation of the space influences experiences of those living there. It will do so by (a) historical account of reservation, de-reservation and re-reservation of the floodplains, using the idea of “eco-body of the state”; (b) workings of liminal citizenship fuelled by reservation policies.