Guwahati is compared with gold in ‘Tung Khungia Buranji’ (Bhuyan, S.K. 1933 as cited in Lakhar1990:37). The Ahom rulers who ruled Assam and Guwahati for several decades give importance to the development of the area and many welfare measures were taken. The Ahom never tried to impose their own religion on the locals. The rulers of Assam were much liberal in case of religion and for that reason many people outside the state migrated and settled here.

The development of Guwahati to an urban area started slowly with its invasion by the British colonial rulers. The shift of capital from Shillong to Guwahati increased its importance. All the administrative works were done in Guwahati. .Many important architecture such as Government Circuit house, D.C bungalow, S.P. bungalow, Chief Justice bungalow, the old radio station, Cotton College (erstwhile) campus and many other Government offices were set up by the British administrators. Though at first stage   importance to health and hygiene aspects were not given priority but after setting up of all these important offices they started giving importance to cleanliness and hygiene of the city. For that purpose manual labourers for cleaning purpose were appointed. The establishments of capital at Guwahati by the colonial rulers provided various opportunities for employment not only for the local people but even to the outsiders. For this people from different parts of Assam and even outside Assam migrated to Guwahati and its population slowly started to rise. Some caste /Dalit people were brought to this region during the colonial rule. These people migrated from Punjab, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. The cause of migration was involuntary in nature. They are migrants. It was due to the reluctance of the local communities /caste unaccustomed in doing such work that made the colonial people bring these people (Harijans) to this part of the country. They were made to settle in various areas of Guwahati. In this way the settlement of these Harijans in different areas of Guwahati started. These Harijans migrated to Assam with their families. The Harijans of Guwahati usually lived in a colony wise settlement (separate colonies) as they always maintained some sort of distance from other high castes people and were considered as Untouchables by other members of the society. After India got its independence most important offices and other institutions were newly added to Guwahati which made it an urbanized area. The establishment of Railway quarters, Gauhati University, Guwahati Medical College Oil refinery, State Bank of India, Assam Engineering college demanded more and more workers for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene and thus more and more Harijans were brought from outside and given appointment in various Government institutions. In this way Harijans were allowed to make settlement in particular areas which were known as sweeper colonies or ‘Metorpatti’ in local Assamese language.

Thus, Guwahati has been a place of migration of people from different parts of India. Guwahati is thereby a hub of different cultures and traditions. The migrated people who came from other parts of India and settled in this part of region  do not want to return very easily as in Assam much liberty was granted to them in case of economy, cultural practice, tradition and religion. This is considered to be involuntary migration as these people were brought by the British to do cleaning works. It is often said that the people who come and live here become a part of it and accept the tradition and culture of this region .Thus Guwahati has a different composition of people with their unique culture all inhabiting peacefully and in dignified way.The Morisali Basfar Colony near Nehru Stadium is a colony of huge numbers of diverse population groups .But they all live together .The people of the colony were mostly inhabited by Telegu ,Punjabi and also Bihari Harijan members. According to these people they have migrated to these regions in search of better job and better living conditions .Telegu groups have migrated from Andhra Pradesh ,Telengana and other southern part of India while the Punjabis have also come in the same way .Some were brought by the British to work in the region .

                It is seen that this colony can be called as hub of various groups of people. All the three groups live in separate clusters in the colony. There are also some Telegu speaking people who have converted to Christianity and for that the Hindu people of the colony maintains a slight distance with them. But still they maintain some tradition of their own like celebrating pongol. The Christian Telegu groups said that they have turned to Christianity due to rigid nature of Hindu religion and as also they get some benefits from church also. While the Hindu Telegu group maintain their own tradition and they make ‘alpana’ floral motif daily at the entrance of their homes. This colony is very well connected to the main road and so is easily accessible. There were good number of quarters provided by government to the people but the condition of regular water supply is not good and the colony is not that clean and hygienic. Many issues of health problems are most common in this locality. There is one Government Primary school near by the colony especially for the Harijans but there also the enrolment rate is very low which ultimately show the low rate of literacy among them.

                The Punjabi speaking people were much more rigid in their religion and so we found no changes of religion among them .They celebrate Gurunanak’s birthday and also other Gurus tithes. There is also a Guruduara in this colony where every morning prayers are beings chanted.

                The people of the colony have now changed to other modes of livelihood. Most parents are encouraging their children to go for higher education. They said that they would not allow their children to carry on their traditional cleaning jobs while some parents in these colonies were very much satisfied with their work and also want their children to follow in their footsteps. The youths of this colony were also engaged in various Government service other than cleaning. It was found that people of this colony were engaged in police department, some in PWD and also some in other private jobs. This shows that slowly a new trend has emerged where these people are gradually moving away from cleaning works in favor of other jobs.

                The economy of the people is quite satisfactory. Most of them were now connected to the new world. Now they have become aware of the value of education and also about their rights. Their family size has changed and most people now prefer to live in nuclear families. There are also some cases as has been told that there are some families who have left this colony and have moved to some other places. They mainly moved as the colony got the name Basfar and they do not want their children to be known as such. The people of the colony have now been exposed to modern medicine and health treatment and do not believe in superstitions. They have now been aware of the health of a girl child and try to give her in marriage at a proper age and at her own will. The colony is well connected to the main road and there is good provision of electricity. Every household have modern electronic gadgets and vehicles for transportation. Most of the families are nuclear families and 100 households were selected randomly for data collection.

                There is a school in this colony called as Harijan Buniyadi Vidyalay .There is a community marriage hall where various meetings and awareness camps are being organized at regular basis. The people are now being more conscious of bad effects of alcohol and try to discourage its use among the colony members. But still there are frequent cases of drunkenness and quarrels among them on regular basis in this colony. The people celebrate separately Durga puja, Ganeshpuja, Sawani puja in the colony every year .Now people outside their society also join in their festivals and events. Earlier no one used to come to their homes or eat with them as they were considered as untouchables and contact with them will create pollution .But due to the spread and acceptance of modern education system and contacts with the outside world, there is widening of outlook among people of all caste groups and concept of untouchables is gradually disappearing.

ii) Uzanbazar Harijan colony

Uzanbazar, the heart of Guwahati city is a place of historical importance and as well as a place of markets of fish especially, though other varieties of items are also available here .In Guwahati the population, increased rapidly after it was made capital from Shillong to Guwahati in 1972.As Guwahati developed to more and more to an urban centre the need for proper cleaning and disposal of garbage became important during the colonial rule. As that time there were not much improvements in technology for cleaning and they had to get it done manually. For this people of lower castes were accustomed but the local people of Assam were reluctant in doing the work and for this the colonial ruler brought people from outside the state for this purpose.

                The Uzanbazar Harijan colony is also known as Arikati Basti Harijan colony. There are Punjabi, Bihari, and Telegu speaking communities living together. The condition of colony is not very good. There are only a few pucca houses. Majority of the houses are mud houses. The road or we can say the lane which passes through this colony is muddy and during rainy days the condition becomes worse. There are many private schools located near the area and also one Government school but still the condition of literacy rate is not satisfactory.  The health and hygiene condition of the colony is also not satisfactory. There are no proper facilities of sanitation in every household. Many people use common toilets. There is also not availability of septic tank. There is no proper system of disposal of garbage and for this the colony looks more horrible. The drainage system of the colony is also not proper. But there is connection of electricity in almost all the houses of the colony. Almost all houses use modern electric equipments like TV , fridge, mixer grinder ,mobile phones, radio, etc. Though the houses of the colony are not in a good condition it is found that almost every household have at least one bike or other means of transportation in their homes. Regarding the question of their economy it is found that most of them are engaged in cleaning jobs, either in private or in Government services. They said that now days it has become difficult for them to get the cleaning jobs of sweepers in Government department. And for that many were engaged in private works such as in private office (cleaning works), in schools, cleaning latrines and toilets, in the nearby flats, sweeping, washing clothes and dishes other than cleaning work. Many youths have taken other profession like driving cars, trucks, doing business, selling vegetables, work in private company, plumber, cutting hair. The number of people working in Government sector is less than those working in private sector.

                The people of the colony celebrate every festival with full enjoyment. Though there are different communities living together they live in peace and harmony. The people of Telegu community celebrate Nagpuja , pongol as their main festival while the Bihari people living there celebrate Sitala puja ,Sawani puja ,Chat puja and the Punjabis celebrate their Gurus birthday as their main festival. Communication facilities in terms of roads are good. There is a good wholesale fish market situated near the area. The colony is situated nearby shops, markets, restaurant, school, buildings etc. It was found that the number of educated people among the Telegu speaking group is more than the other two groups. Some parents from the Bihari and Punjabi communities from this colony are not interested to send their children to school .They think that after their children become educated they will have to still continue with their traditional cleaning jobs only .But at the same time it was found that there are some families where the parents were  conscious about their children’s future. They were trying to give better education to their offspring’s .There are some families where the members are working in good Government department other than cleaning and are highly qualified ,and some are engaged in private sector.

                There is no proper supply of water in this colony and for this many problems were faced by them. Regarding their income, it is noticed that almost in every family both husband and wife are engaged in either Government or in private sectors .This shows their respect for work and for this their economic condition is improving but still due to some bad habits like addiction to alcohol ,drugs, their earning money is wasted and their family lags behind from development .But still there is much improvement in their condition as compared to earlier days.

           The people of the nearby locality also had good terms with them. Now the Harijans were given respect and were invited to many functions of the locality. The practice of untouchability does not persist in this locality.

iii) Fatasil Ambari Harijan colony

The Fatasil Ambari Harijan colony is situated in Ambari Fatasil area of Guwahati city under Bharalumukh police station .This area had a very huge population as there were many quarters that were built by the government for the benefit of these people .There are many GMC quarters  which have good facilities .There are also small Assam type quarters available in these areas .The colony is divided into two parts old colony and new colony .There are Punjabi , Telegu and Bihari communities in this colony .There are more than 600 households in these colony. Most of the people live in quarters.

                There are still some kutcha houses found in this colony .The people were living in this area for about 50 years or even more .The condition of some buildings is not good .The rooms allotted to these people were not much spacious and it becomes congested and small if two or more extra people or guest arrives at their homes But still they do not have any complaints .There is also no proper drainage facilities in almost every household .But the colony people are good in disposal of garbage and they have maintained well in comparison to Uzanbazar colony. 

                latrines and toilets and for this many fights and quarrels take place. Though there is regular supply of water, it is not enough for them. Many people have to stand in queue to take water from public water supply tap. The people of the colony have almost all modern equipments in their homes .Every household have electricity .They have cars ,bikes ,scooters etc., with them .This shows that their economic condition  is better.  But the colony children are now studying in various educational institutions and were more conscious about their career. The parents of these children said that as they could not complete their education fully they want their children to fulfill their dreams. But in most cases it was found that the Telegu parents have completed their basic education. Regarding economy other than cleaning works, most people were engaged in supervision work in GMC, Government service, private jobs, doing business etc. It seems that the next generation will remain attached to these cleaning professions. This is more prominent in case of people of this colony.  The younger generation said that they have left their forefathers’ jobs, but still one group stated that they are interested in taking it only in case of Government cleaning jobs. The life style of the people is quite modern. They keep their homes neat and clean. It was found that there were some cases of inter-caste marriages among the colony people. There were also some marriages between Punjabi and Assamese people in these colony. There are no strict rules of prohibition against such marriages .In case of religion also some Punjabi people have changed their religion to Christianity .They had change their title as ‘Messi’.There are about 25 households of Punjabi community who have changed their religion. Such changes of religion were also found among the Telegu speaking group. It is found from the information during the field study that though some people of the colony have changed their religion but still they celebrate their traditional festivals. However, it was found that no change of religion was noticed among the Bihari group.  There is a Sitala temple; Saibaba temple and a South Indian temple in this colony. This signify that the people of this colony have respect for each other’s religion. The people of the colony were very humble and had given all information required. Though at first they hesitated a bit but when I explained the purpose of my visit they accepted me and provided me the data I required.

 It is seen that the Harijan  people belonging to different communities have made a society of their own  as in their native or ancestral land .They have maintained their own identity though they accept the culture of Assamese people, particularly Guwahati city and have mixed with them. Hence, they could fluently speak Assamese language. They also organize Lori festival ,Pongol festival but also equally participate in the Bihu festival of Assam .That is why there are many households where there are cases of inter-caste/community  marriages, some even marrying Assamese boys/girls. This shows the process of acculturation due to contacts with Assamese culture which has resulted in change of life styles and outlook. Assamese people, particularly of the city are not that conservative and caste stigma or caste discrimination is not visible in the city. This is not only a fact but an evidence as many aged Harijan people even mention of this aspect which is not present in their native states. In this colony also nuclear family predominates and 100 households were randomly selected for study purpose.

iv) Maligoan Railway Harijan colony:

The Maligoan railway Harijan colony is a mixture of Telegu and Hindi speaking people. They were living in this colony together for many years. These people were brought with a purpose of doing cleaning jobs by the British. Some of them come by their own seeking job opportunities in Guwahati, with the introduction of railways in this region.  It is seen that urbanization has made a drastic change in the life style of the people of this colony. Almost every household whether Bihari, Punjabi or Telegu were mostly educated. Education has been given utmost importance by them. The parents say that as they could not complete higher education they wanted their children to get higher education and better lifestyle in future life. It seems that there will be a time in future when these communities, that is, Harijans, will not take up jobs of cleaning and cleaning jobs will be done by others. There is a separate headman for Hindi speaking people and Telegu speaking groups in this colony. There is also good number of Punjabi Harijans out of which 100 families were being surveyed. Nuclear family predominates in this colony.

                As in case of their subsistence most of the people were engaged in cleaning works while  some among them are engaged in jobs other than cleaning .The young generation  more than half  of the total  population are not interested in their traditional works  as they are now educated enough to opt for other  Government jobs. There are many who still prefer to do traditional jobs and is eager to take it .The people outside their castes were engaged in cleaning jobs. This is mainly because of shortage of job opportunities.  There are some cases of marriage outside the caste among the Harijans especially among the  families having Basfore  as their titles and they have accepted it. The Telegu speaking people are to some extent rigid in their rules and prefer endogamous marriage.

                Almost every household have modern equipments such as TV mobile, computer Laptops, etc. The colony people revealed that there is much relaxation for them as regards their movements (in temples, public places etc.) in Assam, while in their native state it is not so .Thus they are free from caste discrimination to a great extent. The colony is well connected to the main roads and has good communication facilities. The colony is clean and hygienic.

v) Rupnagar Harijan/Basfar colony:

In Rupnagar area of Guwahati city, there is a Harijan colony named as Basfar/Harijan colony of Rupnagar situated near the ASTC office .There are about 29 households in this colony. .They are mainly Bihari group or we can say ‘Bhojpuri’ and a few households of Punjabi and Telegu Harijan group. These people are living together with peace and harmony in this area for many years. This colony is the area of ASTC quarters provided by the department and later on it was occupied and rebuilt by the Harijan people of this area.  Many inter-caste marriages are noted from this colony.

                Though Rupnagar Harijan colony is much influenced by the city but still we found the system of Village head man and village council .The headman is usually selected by the people of the colony and his advice is taken seriously by the colony people. If someone among the colony people commits a crime then at first they go to the village man and after that if they were not satisfied with his decision then their second option is police. The colony households are not in a good condition .Most of the houses are of bamboo and wood while some are of mixed type, half pucca house and half bricks .An interesting feature of the colony is that most of the houses consist of nuclear families but they live in a united form as if they were a big joint family. The people are very much helpful and cooperative toward each other. As regards economic condition most of them were engaged in cleaning works in government or private sector but the colony people complains that now it has become difficult for them to get a Government job in cleaning as many people outside their castes  now are being absorbed in such jobs. According to them the newly constructed apartments are a source of employment for these people in cleaning jobs.  Their economic condition is quite stable and they are seen to be using modern electronic gadgets and almost all the people of this colony have their own two-wheelers.

                Some people also complain about the poor drainage system in their locality and also poor or irregular water supply .For these they faced many problems. In matter of cleanliness there are some families who do not maintain or follow the norms of cleanliness and hygiene. The people of the colony can fluently speak Assamese due to presence of other Assamese people around them .They said that they do not face any cases of discrimination in Guwahati .They are free and are living in full dignity .They also complain that in other states their condition is not  at all satisfactory. The main festivals which the colony people celebrate are Sawani puja, Ganesh puja and jhulan puja. There are also some Telegu speaking people who celebrate ‘pongol’ only. The handful of Punjabi families in this colony celebrate their Gurus birthday only. 

The educational scenario will definitely be influenced by the city of Guwahati with its numerous schools, colleges and universities. There is a visible interest noticed in sending their children to schools. Sometimes their family situation compels them to leave their education mid-way. Some parents were very much aware of educating their children. They were interested in bringing about a change in their lifestyles of their children. They seem to be not interested in allowing their children to go for their traditional cleaning jobs. Thus it was found that the people of Rupnagar Harijan colony are now much more aware of Government aids and welfare schemes available for them .They now know their rights but still a section of them are still ignorant of many things. I have included all29 households for my study. Thus Rupnagar colony is a small compact colony of people living together.

vi)Panbazar Harijan  colony

Panbazar Harijan colony is situated at the heart of the city, consists of a mixture of Bihari, Punjabi and Telegu Harijans. These people said that they have migrated to this region in search of better jobs and better living conditions, better education and for a better standard of living than in their native places. These people have been living in this region for decades. These people were living in the quarters provided to them by the Indian Railways Department.

Here, it is seen that these people can speak Assamese fluently and the people are literate. They are eager to pursue higher education and it was found that many youths of the colony were pursuing higher education in the reputed Government colleges of Guwahati city. The dropout rate is low in this colony. There is a Government school established by the Indian Railways. There is also private school in the nearby areas. The youths of the colony are engaged in both private and government jobs. Most of them are engaged in some kind of works either in government or private sector. Many are employed in Railways department both in cleaning and non-cleaning jobs. Almost all houses use modern electric equipment like TV., fridge, mixer grinder, mobile phones, radio etc. There is a temple and a playing field inside the colony. Many of the functions and ceremonies take place there. Some colony people have opened small tea shops inside the colony to supplement to their livelihood. Though they are from three different linguistic groups yet there is presence of solidarity and common sentiment among them. There is the system of village council system among the people of the colony. If something goes against the law,   these people do not go directly to police rather they try to solve among themselves by taking help of Gaon Bura or headman.100 households were selected randomly for data collection. The colony has good clean and hygienic environment.

The colony is well maintained by the people. There is proper drainage system and water supply facilities provided by the Government. The roads were well maintained and the distance  to the main road  is only a walking distance .Most of the families in the colony are nuclear families but there are also some joint families, though few in number. Some of them are relatives and living in the same colony but in separate quarters with still a strong bonding between them .The Harijans of the colony celebrate festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Sitala puja, Sawani puja, Pongol, Gurus parab with great pomp and grandeur. 

In my study of 6 Harijan colonies 529 households were selected at random and the total population is 4044 members .The total number of males are 1877 and females are 2167.The level of differences in respect to education, income, occupation, cleanliness etc also varies among the colonies. Education and Economy are the two sides of a coin. It is also an important tool of social change. Educated Harijans were able to get other jobs other than cleaning and either in private and Government. Department and were able to improve their standard of living and this is well evident in the study of six colonies. In Uzanbazar Harijan colony the level of literacy, living standard of the people, is not satisfactory as compared to the other colonies. Most of the houses are mud houses or of thatches. The housing condition, educational status of Maligaon Harijan colony and Panbazar Harijan colony can be considered to be the best of the colonies. Here people are more conscious about their education and their career. The Telegu Harijans were considered to be more conscious toward education followed by the Punjabis and Bihari Harijan groups and this is well evident among the six colonies under study.

Education also helps in removing the social evils from the society. The practice of child marriage, untouchability have been reduced to a great extent as compared to earlier days and this is well evident in the rise of age at marriage among the Harijans from the six colonies under study. The educated Harijan women of Harijan colonies of Guwahati have now been engaged not only in private jobs but also in Government jobs other than cleaning. Their status has increased as compared to earlier days but the picture is not same in almost all the six colonies. As in Morisali Harijan colony the condition of female education is very poor and this condition is worst in Uzanbazar Harijan colony. The family size and type among the Harijan colonies have had considerable changes .About 70% of the colonies under study were nuclear families and at the same time the importance of small and happy family is adopted by them though in some families there is total absence of family planning. It was found that there were some Harijan groups who have changed their religion and accepted Christianity. This condition is well evident among the Telegu Harijan of Morisali Harijan colony and even among the Punjabi Harijan of Fatasil Harijan colony. In regard to the income it was found that among the Harijan community, level of income has been increasing from earlier decades. Almost every Harijan people have their own bank accounts and this mainly happened only after the scheme of free account opening by the Government. The lifestyle and economic condition of Maligaon Harijan colony and Panbazar Harijan colony is good.    Almost all the households of the six colonies have been using modern gadgets such as fridge ,T.V,mobile bike, laptops etc.Many of the people of the colonies have their own vehicles .This shows that the economic condition of Harijans is improving.

The six different colonies of the study people are located in various parts of Guwahati city. The population pattern of these colonies shows that three linguistic groups of people, all belonging to this Scheduled Caste are living together. Their language and some aspects of culture may vary but they live in complete harmony. A section of them have become converted themselves to Christianity but other than religious practices there are no differences. 

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