Definition of BODOLOGY

Photo by Mao

BODOLOGY is, recently, has been growing into an independent discipline of study.It is being looked at as a Mongolian - Aryan Bodo philosopher of the beginning decade of the third millenniumexpressings their view that the timee has come to go beyond Indianism.

In the modern planetary situation in general and the Indian situation in particular, Mongolian culture cannot meet Aryan culture as equal partners. We want to meet Aryan culture in a Bodonised world under conditions being shaped by the Bodo way of living and thinking.

BODOLOGY is still in its initial stage; not more than one and a half decades have passed since the term was coined in 2002. It is purely a Bodo enterprise, at least for the time being, carried out by Bodo thinkers and scholars alone in the BODOLAND Territory of India, without the help of Indian Pundits. In this sense, Bodology still today is characterized by native Bodo discourse alone. Although many of its themes and concepts are conditioned by Indian contexts, they are determined primarily in an Assamese situation.

In light of the above, BODOLOGY may be defined as "the subject which studies above the Bodos, their way of living and thinking, centered around the Bathou as the core of the Bodo's heart." The study of this subject is essentially Bodo-centric and revolves around the traditional Bodo religion, the Bathonsim. Although its pursuit is BODOLAND-centered, there is no territorial limit to the field of its study, which stretches beyond India, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar abroad.

Looked at as above, the definition of BODOLOGY possesses three essential parts:

a) Study on the Bodo way of living

b) Study Bodo way of thinking.

c) study based on traditional Bodo religion, which revolves around the "Bathou"

d) It nourishes and exposes the Bodo heart.

The first part, the Bodo way of living, embraces study on society, culture, polity, economy, agriculture, domestication and rearing of animals, fishing, hunting, and the likes. This exhibits the mode of living of the Bodo people. The second part, the way of thinking, encompasses philosophy, history, language, art, architecture, and designs of the Bodo.

These all reflect the Bodo mind, its orientation, its manifestations, and its reflections in all sorts of performing arts. The third part of the study is based on the traditional Bodo religion revolving around the Bathou- the altar on which his Almighty is placed and worshipped. "Bathou" is the symbol of the Bodos.

The fourth part. it nourishes and exposes Bodo's heart, which signifies the core of this study. It deals with Bodo's ego, their struggle for life, their revolution for assertion, and their march searching for their own identity and social standing. It expresses the intent of its study of the subject, Bodology, is essentially Bodo-centric. The Bodo life—their mode of living.

Their way of thinking, the philosophy in and around "Bathou" the altar of Bodo existence, and the aspirations and intentions of Bodo people aligred with their struggle, assertions of existence and identity-all constitutes the subject matter of BODOLOGY.

In the study of BODOLOGY, some tries to limit its field of study to BODOLAND, at most to Assam of which once it was part. As Bodos are living in Assam, Meghalaya, Naga- land, Arunachal, Tripura of North-East India, West Bengal and North Bihar of Northern India and Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar abroad, effort for such territorial limitation while making studies or the Bodos, is not justified.

It will be more justified if we can embrace whole India and abroad, particularly the South-East Asia, as the field of its study.

Study of the BODOLOGY is multi-disciplinary one hence a single definition of the subject as above, is not sufficient. It seems unbecoming of a subject a study if one thinks this field of study can be covered by a singular definition. Its vast field of study encompassing state of India Union and neighbouring countries and hence if involvement of reasonable number of the students and researchers are considered, demands more than one definition. This only can assure clarity of concepts pertaining to the study of BODOLOGY.

Moreover, BODOLOGY is a multi-faceted subject of study. It covers whole of Bodo life, their mode of living and thinking, approach to world order and to immediate neighbours. Besides, it intends to study, discover, orient and expose the Bodo life and heart to outside world.

BODOLOGY tends to embrace everything Bodo. As Bodos are now an international

community, it demands ours and journeys to for-away place and countries. Beyond hills and sea, across the deserts, and oceans. For that, it relates INDOLOGY as immediate neighbour, a field of study. Beyond this. Bodology reaches the oriental studies, under which it rest as a branch of study. It also try to roam in the far-flung areas, like Occidentology along the Orientology. In this way, BODOLGY intends to have a worldwide field of study, turning it a multi-disciplinary subject.

Words by Dr. Subungcha Mwshahary