Borders, Memory, and Linguistic Resilience: Oral Traditions and Cultural Continuity among the Chakmas of Assam, India

This paper examines the relationship between oral traditions, linguistic continuity, and cultural identity among the Chakmas of Assam, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) with a long history of migration and displacement. Drawing upon borderland theory, ethnolinguistics, and oral narrative studies, the study investigates how migration memories, Theravada Buddhist institutions, bilingual practices, and ritual performances contribute to the preservation of collective identity. The research adopts a qualitative ethnographic methodology involving participant observation, semi-structured interviews, oral history collection, and linguistic documentation in Chakma settlements of Hailakandi and Karbi Anglong districts. The paper argues that oral narratives function as alternative archives of historical memory while bilingualism produces adaptive and hybrid forms of belonging rather than simple cultural erosion. Buddhist monasteries, ritual festivals, and oral storytelling continue to sustain intergenerational continuity despite the pressures of modernization, migration, and linguistic assimilation. The study contributes to broader discussions on indigenous resilience, borderland identity, endangered languages, and cultural preservation in Northeast India. It also recommends community-based language documentation, mother-tongue education, and digital archival initiatives for safeguarding indigenous knowledge systems.