ABSTRACT:
This paper tries to situate the Maras as a transnational tribe who lived in the Chin State of Myanmar and in the Mara Autonomous District Council area of Mizoram, India. An attempt is made to reveal their affiliations with the larger Chin groups of Myanmar not with standing the intricacies involved in the construction and reconciliation of the nomenclature ‘Chin’. It also explored the genesis of how the Maras broke off from the larger Chin groups of Myanmar and how they formed their own identity. The paper also tries to bring out the process of migration and at the same time, it tries to argue and refute the existing theories and narratives on migration of the Chins and draws a connection to the Chinwind Valleys rather than China. Moreover, detailed accounts of their post-migration habitations and settlements have been explored and also highlighted how colonial and post-colonial geographical divisions and boundary demarcations, which they considered as only artificial, could not really disconnect their historical and cultural attachments. It would seem that today’s international boundaries could not really detach their cultural, traditional and emotional bond, though having been scattered in nation states like India and Myanmar. In the face of these intricacies, the paper finally discusses the process of identity formation by invoking existing theories on Identity and highlighted the challenges confronting the Maras.
Cite this article:
K. Robin. Transnational Tribe of North East India: The Maras and their Quest for Identity. Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2018; 9(3): 524-528. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00088.8
Cite(Electronic):
K. Robin. Transnational Tribe of North East India: The Maras and their Quest for Identity. Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2018; 9(3): 524-528. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00088.8 Available on: https://www.rjhssonline.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2018-9-3-9