Caste, Marginalisation, and Resistance : The Politics of Identity of the Naths Yogis of Bengal and Assam

The identity politics of the householder Naths (Yogis) is one of the oldest and most persistent identity assertions in Bengal and Assam. Yet, for an array of reasons, the identity assertion of the householder Naths of Bengal and Assam has so far failed to draw academic curiosity. Since the late nineteenth century, a segment of the Naths, largely educated and elite, has been crafting their identity as Brahman grounded on their 'origin myth', negotiating with the British colonial administration through different census enumerations, as well as internal social reforms. One of the primary reasons for their current lagging is that the Naths never politicised their identity and demands, and did not mobilise themselves in the democratic political arena.