Debajit Bora

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Seminars seeks to discuss the present state of the practice of musical instruments making in Upper Assam. This seminar in Assamese language is tentatively titled Indigenous musical instruments making in Upper-Assam: Understanding Present state and future course. The seminar will address what can be called as ‘indigenous’, and how indigeneity is connected to musical instruments. The seminar aims to map indigenous musical instruments making processes and practices, to bring together makers/practitioners/artisans of musical instruments to understand the present state of these practices and identify possibilities to structure and organise these practices for future development. Debajit Bora is the Project coordinator for this project. 

Debajit Bora is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus. He specializes in Cultural Studies, Media Studies and Theatre-Performance Studies. He has been working on researching, documenting and developing networks for the lesser known folk performers of Assam. Over the years he has been closely associated with Sur Samalaya Resource Centre for Arts, an independent art and cultural practice institution of Assam. Given his experience, Debajit Bora is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.

The region of Upper Assam is often associated with the caste-Hindu Assamese community, while it is also home to diverse and often underrepresented groups such as the Singpho, Tai-Phake, Mising, Bodo, Tea Garden communities, and Assamese Muslims. These communities contribute significantly to the cultural economy of the region, with musical instruments playing a central role in their traditions and social life. The practice of making and playing these musical instruments is also closely associated with the idea of indigeneity of these communities. This idea of 'indigeneity' has increasingly become contested in Assam due to various socio-political shifts. This seminar intends to explore how indigenous identities are expressed and preserved through the practice of traditional instrument making. Special emphasis will be placed on highlighting micro-cultural practices and engaging with communities that lie outside the mainstream Assamese cultural and linguistic identity.

The project coordinator will organise a two-day seminar and bring many senior artists, practitioners, local youth, instrument makers, young musicians, and practitioners and provide a platform for dialogue, aiming to document and better understand the making techniques, materials used, and cultural relevance of indigenous instruments. This includes instruments like the Pepa, Dhol, Tokari, and Bin, many of which are crafted using animal products such as skin and horns. However, current socio-political pressures—particularly from cow protection laws and Hindutva-influenced policies—have made the use of such materials increasingly difficult. This, in turn, affects the viability of making instruments like the Bihudhol or Pepa, despite their central role in Assamese cultural identity. The seminar will explore these tensions and contradictions, aiming to provide artisans with a platform to share their challenges and seek collective solutions. Additionally, the seminar will explore marketing and tourism-based opportunities.

The Project outcome will be a seminar that aims to be more than a discussion—it is a call to action to document, preserve, and evolve the rich heritage of indigenous musical instruments in Upper Assam. By bridging tradition with contemporary needs, and culture with commerce, the seminar hopes to ensure that these practices not only survive but thrive in a rapidly changing world. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final report will include documentation of the two-day seminar. 

This project suitably addresses the broad framework of IFA's Arts Practice programme in which it will map the traditional processes and practices of indigenous musical instrument making, bring together artisans, makers, and cultural practitioners onto a common platform and explore structured avenues for sustaining and formalising these practices through training and market integration.

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.