What's in a surname? Say Chutia in Assam and you may go to jail

The Assam government is mulling to introduce a law in the assembly which will protect the identity of the Chutia community in the state.

In a welcoming move for the Chutia community, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave this assurance after discussions with several Chutia community organizations on various issues today.

It is to be mentioned here that the community allegedly often face the wrath of mockery with its surname not only in Assam but also outside the state.

Chutia, pronounced Sutiya, is a community in Assam while the word is a commonly-used derogatory term in Hindi.

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But the fact is Chutia is an ethnic tribe of Assam which has a rich historical background in the state history.

The origin of the name "Chutia" is not entirely clear, and there are several theories about its etymology.

One theory suggests that the name "Chutia" is derived from the word "Chutiya" which means "a hill" in the local Assamese language. This theory suggests that the Chutia people were originally from the hill regions of present-day Arunachal Pradesh and that they migrated to the plains of Assam and established their kingdom there.

Another theory suggests that the name "Chutia" is derived from the Tai Ahom word "Chuti", which means "lord" or "ruler".

Yet another theory suggests that the name "Chutia" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chhatriya", which means "warrior" or "kshatriya". This theory suggests that the Chutia people were originally a warrior caste who migrated to Assam and established their own kingdom.