The Assam movement was a combination of cultural pride and economic backwardness. Explain.
The Assam movement (1979-1985) led by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) was indeed a combination of cultural pride and economic backwardness.
Cultural pride was a major driving force of the movement. The Assamese suspected that there were huge numbers of illegal Bengali Muslim settlers from Bangladesh. They feared that unless these foreign nationals were detected and deported, they would reduce the indigenous Assamese into a minority. The movement was against illegal migrations, against domination of Bengalis and other outsiders, and against a faulty voters' register that included the names of lakhs of immigrants. It demanded that all outsiders who had entered the State after 1951 should be sent back.
Economic backwardness also fueled the movement. Despite the existence of natural resources like oil, tea and coal, there was widespread poverty and unemployment in Assam. It was felt that these resources were drained out of the State without any commensurate benefit to the people. The movement even tried to blockade the supply of oil from Assam to refineries in Bihar.
Thus, the movement mobilised all sections of Assamese people by combining issues of identity with economic grievances.
Explanation
The question asks students to explain how the Assam movement combined two distinct but interrelated issues. The cultural dimension involved fears about demographic change due to illegal migration from Bangladesh and the threat to Assamese identity. The economic dimension involved the paradox of resource-rich Assam remaining poor and unemployed. Students should mention both aspects with specific examples from the context - the demand to deport foreigners (cultural) and the blockade of oil supply (economic). The answer should be approximately 120-150 words for a 4-mark question.