Gaon Bura of Assam

In news- Recently the Assam Cabinet announced that Gaon Buras (village headman), village-level functionaries of the district administration, will henceforth be called ‘Gaon Pradhans’.

Key updates-

The institution of Gaon Bura in Assam dates back to the colonial era, when the British appointed the oldest person in the village as the head.
The responsibilities initially included recording births, deaths, revenue collection, settling disputes, notifying circle officers if there is any encroachment on land, helping police investigate crime, etc…
Post-independence, the government continued with the institution and made the Gaon Bura a formal part of the Assam Revenue and Disaster Management department.
His responsibilities were increased, and eventually a small honorarium for the role was introduced.
The Gaun bora became central to rural, village life and inevitably featured in a number of writings including novels and plays of the 19th century.
Assamese litterateur Padmanath Gohain Baruah’s popular social play is called ‘Gaon Bura’.
Though it was earlier a hereditary position, today it is a sought-after position that undergoes a competitive recruitment interview held by the district administration.
A Gaon Bura is paid a monthly honorarium of Rs 9,000.
One needs to be a Class X pass, and as per the new Cabinet decision, a minimum of 30 years of age (upper limit 65) is required to apply for the post.
There are about 6,000 Gaon Buras in Assam, which include several women too.
He/she is the one who can issue a ‘GaonBura certificate’, a certificate that determines one’s permanent residency in a particular village.
During the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the GaonBura certificate became crucial for women (who had no other documents) to establish linkages with their husbands and parents.
The state government has reasoned that a number of young men (and women) become Gaon Buras, and thus, the word ‘Bura’ (meaning old in Assamese) is no longer appropriate.