Introduction
/ History
Most of the
Bengali groups are easily defined by their common language, Bengali. However,
there are several smaller tribes who are also referred to as Bengali, but speak
languages other than Bengali. Their languages belong to the Assamese-Bengali
sub-group of the Indo-Aryan language family and include these groups: the
Hajong and Kishanganjia of India, the Hajong and Tajpuri of Bangladesh, and the
Rajbanshi and Kayort of Nepal.
The Hajong
originated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, and then migrated
north. Today, most of them live in east central Bangladesh, primarily in the
northern part of the Mymensingh district, which lies on the southern slopes of
the Garo Hills. From there, some immigrated into India and now live in the
states of Assam, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh. Unfortunately, many of
those who now live in Arunachal Pradesh are in danger of being evicted, even
though they have been settled there for 30 years. The Tajpuri live in the
plains of Rangpur, which is located in northern Bangladesh near the border of
India.