Cachar District/Silchar
Geography
Silchar is located at the southern part of Assam. Situated on the BarakRiver near the Bangladesh border, it is a trade and processing centre for tea, rice and other agricultural products. There is limited industry, principally papermaking and tea-box manufacturing. The city has an airport and lies on both a rail head and national highways connecting Guwahati, Assam; Agartala, Tripura; Imphal, Manipur and Aizawl in Mizoram state. It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72 feet).
Demographics
As of 2001Indiacensus, Silchar had a population of 143,003. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Silchar has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 76%. In Silchar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Major religions followed are Hinduism and Islam.
Climate
At Silchar the wind generally blows from the northeast in the morning and from the southeast in the afternoon. Summer is hot, humid and interspersed with rains and thunderstorms. Winter generally starts towards the end of November and lasts till February. Towards the start of the Bengali month of Baishakh (mid-April) rain clouds start covering the skyline. Silchar is inundated almost every year due to excessive rain fall and flooding by the river Barak.
Education
Silchar has some of the best educational institutes in the whole of North East India. One of the 20 National Institutes of Technology (formerly known as Regional Engineering Colleges), NIT Silchar is one of the oldest engineering colleges in the North-Eastern region. REC Silchar as it was known previously is now an Institute of National Importance in India.
Silchar also has SilcharMedicalCollege, a Polytechnic Institute, B.Ed colleges, two Law colleges and an Industrial Training Institute (ITI).
After several years of persistent efforts Silchar got its own university Assam University a central university, which imparts education in both the general as well as professional streams. The university, which came in to existence in 1994, has 9 schools and 29 departments under them. The university also has 51 affiliated colleges under it.
Some reputed schools in Silchar include Adhar Chand H.S. School, Holy Cross School, Silchar Collegiate School, South Point School,Oriental High School,Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Narsing School, Govt. Boys School, Govt. Girls school and a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas amongst others. Among the colleges the best known ones are GuruCharanCollege, RamanujCollege, CacharCollege, RadhamadhavCollegeetc. Guru Charan College is one of the most respected and reputed colleges in the whole of Assam. On the other hand, RamanujCollege is known to be the most successful institution for +2 level studies, now-a-days, in the entire Barak valley. The colleges are credited with producing some of the best intellectuals of the region.
Recent years have seen Silchar emerge as a potential educational place where denizens from the trouble-torn North-Eastern region come to the town for their children's education. Today a large number of professionals from Silchar are to be found around the globe in almost all countries and regions. Students today can educate themselves in almost all fields.
Connectivity
Silchar is connected by road, rail and air to the rest of the country.
Silchar is connected through meter gauge rail network with Lumding and this is currently being updated to broad gauge lines. The railways station is located at Tarapur, Silchar. There are regular inter state bus services connecting Silchar with Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl, Agartala and other places. The airport is located at Kumbhirgram, about 22 km from Silchar and there are regular flights connecting Silchar with Kolkata, Guwahati and Agartala.
Cachar district records
"The management of the affairs of the district was entrusted after annexation, to Lieutenant Fisher, an officer of approved ability and great local experience. for some months Cachar continued to be administered from Cherrapunji, the head quarters of the Agent to the Governor General, but in consideration of practical difficulties early in 1833 Fisher had his head quarters at Dudputli which however were soon shifted to Silchar for the sake of convenience."
In the 1850s, British tea planters re-discovered the game polo in Manipur on the Burmese border with India. The first polo club in the world was formed at Silchar. The first competitive modern form of Polo was also played out in Silchar and the plaque for this feat still stand at the back side of the District Library, Silchar. Other clubs followed and, today, the oldest in the world is the Calcutta Club, founded in 1862.
Railway Link
The Assam Bengal Railway brought Silchar into the Indian railway map in 1899. The railway line from Lumding to Silchar is hailed as one of the most exciting pristine railway tracks of India. Built by the British during the colonial rule, the Meter Gauge line stands testimony to the grandiose of what was once a highly popular city in the North-East.
Hailakandi
Location
The Hailakandi district is situated in the southernmost corner of Assam in North East India. The distance of the state capital Guwahati from the district Head Quarter is 330 KM.
Boundaries
The Hailakandi district is bounded by River Barak & Cachar district in the North & East, Mizoram State in the South & East and Karimganj district in the west. The inter state border is stretched over 76 KM in the south east.
Historical background of the district
The name “Hailakandi” derives from the Kuke word “Halam” which means a small state and “Kundia” a Bodo-Kacahari word which means a plot of land for temporary ploughing according to the opinions of the historians like Rajmohan Nath and others.
There are also some other opinions in regard to nomenclature of Hailakandi. One version says that the area was abundant in paddy cultivation, particularly ‘shail’ peddy was more in production and was the granary of the area as a whole. For that reason it was called ‘Shailkandi’ – Kundi a Kuki word meaning a ‘a bunch’- a land of the Kukis. From this it turns into Hailakandi.The western portion of present Hailakandi was known as Boroibari. It was under the occupation of one Ipra Queen ‘Hail’. She was the Zamidar of the estate and from her name it became ‘Halirkandi’ & then turns into Hailkandi.
Hailakandi – a leaning plot of land, though it is difficult to decide which is historically correct yet according to majority opinion the combination of the derivatives of ‘Halam’ and ‘ Kundina’ was the origin.
History
In the known period of history most parts of the erstwhile state of Cachar was under Tripuri administration. Existence of Sakala Dighi near Lala ( in the 5 km. South) is symbol of Tripuri reign. Other parts of the state were captured by the Kochs during the early medieval period and continued as a Koch province till the Dimacha occupied it. But, Hailakandi particularly its southern part remains under Tripura. According to Krishnamala it was then named as Purbakul. But Tripuries could not continue for any longer period due to constant attack by the Kukis who were dominant people in the southern part of Hailakandi and gradually they receded from their Purbakul province . The Dimasas captured Hailakandi, at first the northern part and then towards the end of their rule over Cachar, the southern part was also brought under their rule. Hailakandi went under the British rule in 1830 with Silchar the other part of the state of Cachar. The Britishers built their native club at Monacherra, Hailakandi and Polo Ground at Girin Tilla which is still in existence.
During 2nd world war (1942 –43) the first Airport of the valley was built at Chandrapur – Bhabanipur village near Lala & 2nd airport was built at Kanchanpur, both are now used as paddy fields.
Hailakandi district is land of diversity where people of different cast, tribe, creed and religion live with unity from time immemorial.
Date of Establishment:
Hailakandi was the one of the oldest Sub-division of the state which was constituted as Civil Sub-division on 1st June 1869. On 1st October 1989 it emerged as Civil District with same territorial jurisdiction of the earlier Sub-division.
Natural drainage (rivers & tributaries) :
There are 2 main river namely Dhaleswari and Katakhal which runs from south to north through the middle of the district. The river Dhaleswari originates in the Mizo hills where it is known as Thang. Originally it is used to flow along the western side of the district and fall into the river Barak near Panchgram. A former king is said to have diverted its course a little above Rongpur and the channel is now dried up for a considerable distance of about 1.5 km, after the commencement of new channel which is called ‘katakhal’ and the lower reaches of the Dhaleswari is completely cut off from the river that originates form the Mizo hills. The Katakhal river flows along the east of the valley and falls into the Barak river near Katakhal railway Junction. There are also 7 tributaries in the district.
The only Hawor of the district ‘bakri-hawor’ having a considerable area of 20 sq. km. & remains under floodwater almost in every season.
Climate
In summer season there is heavy rainfall with high humidity. The average annual rainfall is 2873.078 & humidity is 85%. In winter the climate is cold and dry. The cold is intense in December, January & February. The maximum temperature is in the month of August 30’ –34’ Celsius and the minimum temperature is 6’-12’ Celsius.
Demography
As per 2001 census the total population of the district is 542978 showing the decadal growth rate is 20.93. Out of this total population 63832 (12%) are SC & 1063 (.20%) are ST.
Total rural population of the district is 501478 (92%) & urban population is 41500 (8%). Literacy percentage of the district is 59.84%. Male literacy rate is 68.47% & female literacy is 50.65%. Male female ratio is 933.
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