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TIWA (Lalung)

Tiwa is a tribe inhabiting the States of Assam and Meghalaya in Northeast India. They were known as Lalung in the Assamese and Colonial literature and they are still refered so in the Constitution Order of the Government of India. Some of their neighbours still used this term. A striking peculiarity of the Tiwa is their division into two sub-groups, Hill Tiwa and Plains Tiwas, displaying very contrasted cultural features : Hill Tiwas - language: Tiwa language, Tibeto-burmese, Bodo-Garo group - descent system: mostly matrilinear - named clans - religion: traditional or christian Plains Tiwas - language: Assamese, Indo-Aryan - descent system: patrilinear - no named clans - religion: share many elements with Assamese hinduism

The 2001 Census reports 171000 Lalung; this figure comprise only the Plains Tiwa. Tiwa are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in Assam excluding the Autonomous districts. Hill Tiwas (etimated number 10 000) live in the Karbi-Anglong autonomous district. The number of Tiwa speakers amounts only to 26481 (Census of India)