The Bengali Hindus are the second-largest ethno-religious group just after Assamese Hindus in Assam. As per as estimation research, around 6–7.5 million Bengali Hindus live in Assam as of 2011, majority of whom live in Brahmaputra Valley and a significant population also resides in the Barak Valley. The Bengali Hindus are today mostly concentrated in the Barak Valley region,"According to Pemberton's report in 1835, the population of the Cachar plains was estimated at about 50,000, among which the Dimasa-Kacharis were the most dominant section; the second were Bengali Muslim immigrants and their descendants; the third were Bengali and Assamese Hindu immigrants and their descendants; and the last bulk of the population consists of Manipuris, Nagas and Kookis." "The population of Lower and Upper Cachar was estimated at around 60,000. In Upper Cachar Cacharis, Kookees, Aooloongs, and Nagas were recorded. The inhabitants of Lower Cachar was predominantly Cacharis and Bengali Muslims (descendants of immigrants). There were also Kookees, Manipuris, and Nagas there." and now are politically, economically and socially dominant. Assam hosts the second-largest Bengali Hindu population in India after West Bengal.

History

Barak Valley

The Barak Valley region of Assam comprising the present districts of Cachar and Hailakandi (together formerly part of the Kachari kingdom) and Karimganj (formerly part of Sylhet), According to the Bhatera Copper Plate issued by Govinda-Kesavadeva ruler of Srihatta-Rajya a proto Bengali Kingdom ruled many places which now falls in present day Barak Valley, places like Katakhal, Kalain & Salchapra is mentioned on the copper plate which dates back to 1049A.D.

In census report of Assam in 1921 by G.T Lloyd, he stated that Bengali speakers in Cacher and Goalpara are Indigenous. Bengalis, according to historian J.B. Bhattacharjee, had settled here for more than 2 centuries. Bhattacharjee argues that the Dimasa kings spoke Bengali and the inscriptions and coins were written in Sanskrit in Bengali script. Migrations to Cachar increased after the British annexation of the region. Bengalis have been living in Barak Valley for at least 224 years.

While on a survey duty in Cachar in 1832, Pemberton mentioned as quoted "People in Sylhet and Cachar are identical in every respect – appearance, custom and language". In 1835 Pemberton reported according to Captain Fisher that the population of the Cachar plains was around 50,000 dominated by the Dimasa people, followed by Muslim immigrants from Sylhet and their descendants; a third group was Bengali and Assamese Hindu immigrants and their descendants and Naga, Kuki and Manipuris forming the smallest groups."According to Pemberton's report in 1835, the population of the Cachar plains was estimated at about 50,000, among which the Dimasa-Kacharis were the most dominant section; the second were Bengali Muslim immigrants and their descendants; the third were Bengali and Assamese Hindu immigrants and their descendants; and the last bulk of the population consists of Manipuris, Nagas and Kookis." "The population of Lower and Upper Cachar was estimated at around 60,000. In Upper Cachar Cacharis, Kookees, Aooloongs, and Nagas were recorded. The inhabitants of Lower Cachar was predominantly Cacharis and Bengali Muslims (descendants of immigrants). There were also Kookees, Manipuris, and Nagas there."

But In 1837 British Officer J.G Burns reported that the population of Cachar Plains were 50,000 and only a small portion of population were Dimasa, and majority were Bengali Hindus and Muslims and a few Manipuris, Nagas, kukies .According to David R. Syiemlieh, up to 1837 A.D. the plains of Cachar Valley were sparsely populated and were dominated by the Dimasa Cachari, a Tibeto Burmese tribe, under the rule of the Kachari Raja, who have established his kingdom's capital at Khaspur, Cachar plains. He had a good number of Bengali advisers (mostly Brahmins) around him and gave grants of land to some of them, but the population resembled that of the North Cachar Hills of today as evident from various historical chronicles and sources. The British Annexation of Cachar transformed the demographic patterns of the valley overnight. There was a sudden phenomenal growth in population, while the plains of Cachar had about 50,000 inhabitants in all in 1837 A.D. that is five years after its annexation. The population rose to more than five lakhs a few years later, which eventually indicates that there was a large-scale immigration.

For instance in the 1851 Census, the population of the Cachar Valley was recorded at 85,522, comprising diverse backgrounds including hill tribes. Muslims and Hindus, predominantly Bengalis, made up 30,708 and 30,573 individuals respectively, constituting 70% of the total population. The remaining population included 10,723 Manipuris, 6,320 Kukis, 5,645 Nagas, and 2,213 Cacharis.Barbhuiya, A. R. (2020). Indigenous people of Barak Valley. Notion Press. https://books.google.co.in/books?id=5SLMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT77&redir_esc=y

Assam Valley

After the annexation of Assam (constituting 19% of present-day Assam) in 1826 A.D., the British encouraged the mass emigration of Bengali Hindus into Assam's mainland Brahmaputra Valley from the neighboring Bengal region in the first phase. This influx served to fill various roles within the colonial administration, including administrative workers, court officials, bankers, railway employees, businessmen, and bureaucrats. IJISSH https://ijissh.org › Issue2 › IJ...PDF Immigration in Assam during Colonial rule: Its Impact on the Socio Bengali Hindus migrated during the Partition of Bengal in 1947 and before the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 as refugees, in the second and third phases respectively.

Culture The culture of Bengalis in Assam is mainly influenced by a hybrid mixture of Assamese-Bengali culture and traditions. Bengalis specially living in Assamese-dominated Brahmaputra Valley/Assam Valley speaks Bengali as their mother tongue, but also speaks Assamese as their 2nd language and have got assimilated into mainstream Assamese society as "Greater Assamese society". The Bengali identity as a whole, most particularly in Assam Valley is linguistic, while Bengali as an ethnic is considered as Assamese.

While in Barak Valley, the Bengali identity differs significantly from that in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam. People in Barak Valley predominantly identify as Bengalis rather than as Assamese. This distinction is rooted in historical, cultural, and linguistic differences between the two valleys. Bengalis in Barak Valley often emphasize their distinct cultural heritage, which includes Bengali language, literature, music, and customs that are more closely aligned with neighbouring Sylhet region of Bangladesh rather than Assam. Many in Barak Valley express a desire for greater autonomy or even separation from Assam, advocating for recognition of their unique identity within India as separate state. This sentiment is reflected in formal discussions and political movements aimed at addressing their cultural and political aspirations, as well as the grievances of being deprived and neglected for years.

Demography Population Assam has a large Bengali Hindu population as per as estimation research, but various sources have varied estimation of Bengali Hindu population in Assam, as the census of India, does not allow religious segregation of languages spoken, it is very difficult to arrive at official estimates of a religious-linguistic matrix for the Assam state. It has been said that Bengali Hindus are the third largest community in Assam after Assamese Hindus and Bengali Muslims (locally known as Miyas) with a population of 6 million approx, constituting 19.3% of state population as of 2011 census estimation figure by Assam government.

+ Number of Bengali Hindus residing in Assam (2010–2019 est. research by various agencies) Source/claimed by PopulationConfusion, hope run high among Assam's Hindu Bengalis. 5,000,000 Claimed KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi. 10,000,000 Claimed AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya. 7,000,000-7,200,000 BJP government estimation. 6,000,000 2016 Assam election assembly results. 6,000,000 Claimed by NDTV 5,620,000 Claimed by Morungexpress. 6,400,000 Claimed by Assam Bengali Hindu organization (ABHO). 6,500,000-7,200,000 Claimed by The All Assam Bengali Hindu Association (AABHA) 7,802,000 Claimed by Times of India 7,500,000 Claimed by Daily O News 7,000,000 Claimed by The Wire 5,900,000-7,500,000 Claimed by The News Web 7,500,000 Claimed by The Hindu 7,801,250

Geographical concentration

They are highly concentrated in the Barak Valley region where they a form a slide majority and the population of Bengali Hindus in Barak Valley is 20 lakh, constituting 50% of the total population of the region.

In Assam's Brahmaputra Valley region, there is no real data for Bengali Hindu population available through census, but it is just assumed that region Brahmaputra valley have around "40 Lakh Bengali Hindus" as per as New president of the All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation (AABYSF), Mahananda Sarkar Dutta who have stated the above demographic statement.

Social issues

Immigration

Since after partition of Bengal in 1947 there were large scale Bengali migration into Assam. Between the period of first patches (1946–1951), around 274,455 Bengali Hindu refugees have arrived from what is now called Bangladesh (former East Pakistan) in various locations of Assam as permanent settlers and again in second patches between (1952–1958) of the same decade, around 212,545 Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh took shelter in various parts of the state permanently.India (1951). "Annual Arrival of Refugees in Assam in 1946–1951". Census of India. XII, Part I (I-A): 353 – via web.archive.org.http://iussp2005.princeton.edu › ...PDF The Brahmaputra valley of India can be compared only with the Indus ... After the 1964 East Pakistan riots many Bengali Hindus have poured into Assam as refugees and the number of Hindu migrants in the state rose to 1,068,455 in 1968 (sharply after 4 years of the riot). The fourth patches numbering around 347,555 have just arrived after Bangladesh liberation war of 1971 as refugees and most have decided to stay back in Assam afterwards.

Politics and discrimination