Majuli Island:
A recent six-day survey conducted on the escalating human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the Majuli River Island district of Assam sparks concern.
- Majuli Island Often called the soul of Assam, Majuli is the world’s largest river island.
- It lies at the heart of Assam, spreading over an area of 421 sq. km.
- The island is formed by the Brahmaputra River in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north.
- In 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India.
- The island’s landscape is characterised by lush greenery, water bodies and paddy fields.
- The island has also been the hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture, initiated around the 16th century by the great Assamese saint-reformer Srimanta Sankerdeva and his disciple Madhavdeva.
- They initiated the tradition of Satras (monastic institutions), and these Satras have preserved Sattriya dance, literature, bhaona (theatre), dance forms, mask making, and boat-making.
- Most of the islanders belong to three tribes-Mishing, Deori and Sonowal Kachari, with the non-tribal Assamese comprising the rest.
- Apart from Satras or Vaishnavite monasteries, Majuli is famous for mask-making and has a tradition of pottery making.
- Rice cultivation is the primary livelihood for the residents of Majuli, with several unique varieties of rice, such as Komal Saul and Bao Dhan, grown in the region.
