A Study of the Educational Status of Sonowal Kachari Girls in Panitola and Tingkhong Blocks of Dibrugarh District, Assam

Abstract

Sonowal Kachari is one of the oldest tribe of Assam. They are one of the indigenous tribes of Assam who are the third largest tribal community of Assam. Sonowal. Sonowal Kachari tribe has a very rich culture. They are a very simple and cheerful race by nature. They live mainly in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Golaghat districts of Assam and parts of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India. The Sonowal Kachari has a patriarchal society and as per the norms and values of the society the male is considered to be head of the family and the decision maker of the house. They are of Mongoloid origin, and linguistically, the Sonowal Kachari people belong to the Tibetan language family. They have their own distinct culture, customs, and traditions, which separates them from other communities. This article attempts to highlight the educational status of the sonowal Kachari girls. From Panitola block, the villages Bindhakata Gaon, Muluk Gaon, and from Tingkhong block, Ouphalia Gaon, Chakalia Pathar, have been selected as samples. The objectives of this study are-to examine the Enrollment and participation levels of Sonowal Kachari girls in different stages of education (higher secondary, undergraduate, postgraduate) and to analyze the challenges faced by Sonowal Kachari girls in pursuing education. The methodology of this study is descriptive in nature. The study concludes that the progress of education in Ouphalia Gaon and Chakalia Pathar of Tingkhong block, as well as in Bindhakata Gaon and Muluk Gaon of Panitola block, remains very slow.