Water is life and death: Symbolic representation in all customs and rituals in India

Abstract

For the Koch, Koch Rajbongshi, and Rajbanshi people of India, water is central to their culture. They share river music and ancestry. They lost their language in 1931 and split into three or more clans due to flood relocation. They also introduced food, the river, the sun, the moon, the bamboo tree, and cactus plant worship to the highlands. The parent group was identified as tribal in the 1931 census. Still, the Indian government could not grant Koch, Koch Rajbongshi, and Rajbanshi “scheduled tribe” status for Assam and conserve their culture, traditions, and language. Indian scientists are trying to solve Assam's centuries‐old flood issues, which are worsening. The new Indian water framework must treat “water access” and “value of water resources” as “essentially good” and “human rights” issues. India must review its Assam flood failures and compensate locals. Assam needs political, social, economic, and administrative procedures to develop and manage water resources and offer services at different societal levels.