Assamese

The team has been studying the behavior of Assamese macaques at Phu Khieo for years amassing thousands of hours of detailed observations of their social behavior.

Earlier this year, the government also approved the classification of five Muslim groups as "indigenous Assamese" communities, raising fears of further marginalisation of others.

“The public response has been very good. They love live performances. We have no competition from television and the digital boom,” said Prastuti Parashar, a top Assamese actress who owns the Awahan Theater group.

Many of the local residents, who speak Assamese, have sometimes chafed under Indian rule, fueling a separatist movement.

The violent police action has deepened tensions between the state’s ethnic Assamese and Bengali-descent Muslims, who say they increasingly feel targeted by the government.