Northeast India is home to a diverse range of tribal communities. The issue of tribal ethnic identity is highly complex and has given rise to numerous tribal movements in the region. After India gained independence, the process of nation-building unfolded within the context of vast ethno-cultural and religious diversity. To safeguard the identity, culture, and development of certain tribal communities (Hill Tribes), the central government established local Autonomous Administrations under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and consequently in 1996, Karbi Anglong achieved its autonomy. However, the Karbis residing in the plains of Assam were excluded from this constitutional protection and began to assert their ethnic identity to achieve those privileges given to their hilly counterparts and in pursuit of a role in Assam's political process.