Karbi Anglong District
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Karbi Anglong district is an administrative unit in the
Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
of
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
. It is an autonomous district administered by the
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. The council is constituted ...
(KAAC) according to the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the
constitution of India The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India, legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures ...
. The district headquarters is in Diphu.


Etymology

"Karbi Anglong" is derived from the Karbi language. Karbi is the name of the indigenous tribe living in and around the region. The origin of the word ''Karbi'' is unknown. ''Anglong'' is a
homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either; '' homographs''—words that mean different things, but have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation), or '' homophones''—words that mean different things, but have the same pronunciat ...
in the Karbi language for hills and mountains. The term ''Karbi Anglong'' literally means "Karbi Hills".


History


Pre independence

Prior to the British colonisation of Assam, the major hill tribes of Undivided Assam had their own separate "states" they lived in without much outside interference. They were not a part of any properly established external government or kingdom. Under the British rule with the Frontier Regulation Act of 1884, the Mikir Hills tract was made a part of the administrative district of Nowgong. Till then, there was no administrative boundary of the erstwhile Mikir Hills or present-day districts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong. Later in 1893, a part of the tract was put under the Sivsagar district. Later in 1935, Mikir Hills was declared as one of the "backward tracts" under article 52A(2) of the Government of India Act, 1919. These "backward tracts" were the tribal areas for whose administration the Sixth Schedule of the
Indian constitution The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and ...
was later enacted. Later under the Government of India Act, 1935, the Mikir Hills tract was classified under "Partially Excluded Areas". These areas were not directly controlled by the laws made in the province or the federal government and while the power of administration was vested in the council of ministers, however, it was subject to the governor exercising his individual judgement.


Post independence

On 17 November 1951, the now defunct was created by combining some parts of the present day districts of Golaghat,
Nagaon Nagaon is a city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Assam. It is situated east of Guwahati. With a population of 1,16,355 as per 2011 census it is an AMRUT City and 4th biggest city ...
,
Cachar Cachar district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. After independence, the pre-existing undivided Cachar district was split into four districts: Dima Hasao (formerly North Cachar Hills), Hailakandi, Karimganj, and the ...
, and United
Khasi Hills The Khasi Hills () are a low mountain formation on the Shillong Plateau in the Meghalaya state of India. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range and connect with the Purvanchal Range and the larger Patkai Range further east. The ...
and Jaintia Hills district of present-day
Meghalaya Meghalaya (; "the abode of clouds") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeast India. Its capital is Shillong. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the Assam: the United Khasi Hills an ...
. This was followed by the bifurcation of the erstwhile district of United Mikir and North Cachar Hills into two separate districts - Mikir Hills and North Cachar Hills district on 2 February 1970. The Mikir Hills district was later officially renamed to Karbi Anglong district on 14 October 1976. Karbi Anglong district in Assam has been plagued by several ethnic conflicts in recent years. The most notable one was the Karbi-Kuki conflict that erupted in 2003 and continued into 2004, resulting in the deaths of at least 85 people, mostly men, at the hands of militant groups like the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) and the anti-talks faction of the United Peoples' Democratic Solidarity (UPDS). The conflict was marked by retaliatory attacks, with the KRA killing 39 Karbi tribals in March 2004 in the highest single-day civilian casualty in Assam. The underlying issues were the Kuki community's demand for recognition as indigenous and fear of ethnic cleansing, while the Karbi community wanted to control resources and stop Kuki migration. In 2016, the district was further divided into two new districts. The entire area under the Hamren Civill sub-division of the Karbi Anglong district was carved out to form a new district, West Karbi Anglong with Hamren as its headquarter.


Politics


Aspiration for statehood

Following British colonisation, the Government of India Act, 1935, categorised the Mikir Hills as "Partially Excluded Areas". These areas were not directly controlled by the laws of the provincial and
federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
and were administered by a council of ministers but was subject to the
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
exerting their individual judgement. In 1940, political leaders such as Semsonsing Ingti, Khorsing Terang and Seng Bey in a memorandum to the Assam Governor, Sir Robert Neil Reid, advocated for a separate hill district for Mikirs. To further advance their cause, a socio-political organisation called the Karbi-A-Dorbar was formed in 1946.In 1960, the
government of Assam The Government of Assam or Assam Government abbreviated as GoAS, is the Subnational legislature, state government of the Indian state of Assam. It consists of the Governors of states of India, Governor appointed by the President of India as th ...
passed the Assam Official Language Act, 1960 declaring Assamese as the official language of the state. In 1972, the
Gauhati University Gauhati University also known as GU, is a collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly and is the oldest un ...
announced that the
medium of instruction A medium of instruction (plural: media of instruction, or mediums of instruction) is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. If the first language of students is different from the offic ...
and examination under its colleges would be changed from English to Assamese. In response to this, a meeting was held on 31 May 1973, under the leadership of the Chief Executive Member at that time. During this meeting, they adopted the Roman Script for Karbi literary works and established the Script Implementation Committee. In a rally held by the committee on 19 December 1973, several students were injured and leaders were arrested in a retaliation by the state police force. These developments contributed to calls for an Autonomous State within Assam. The then
Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
Prafulla Himanta and Home Minister Bhrigu Phukan opposed these demands stating concerns that it could fragment the state further.


Sixth Schedule

The Sixth Schedule under Article 244(2) and 275(1) contains provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The provisions of the Sixth Schedule are regarded as a mini-constitution within the constitution. In autonomous regions, any act enacted by the
State legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...
or any act of the
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in respect of the subjects and powers vested with the district council shall not be applicable within the territorial jurisdiction of the district council unless the authority of such a council decides to accept them in its entirety or with exceptions and modifications. The Sixth schedule of the Indian constitution empowers the Governor to make rules for the first constitution of District Councils and Regional Councils in consultation with the existing tribal Councils or other representative tribal organisations within the autonomous districts or regions concerned.


Local rules and membership eligibility

There are different internal rules for different Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). Under the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, the right of access to traditional lands and length of stay in the region are regarded as "qualifying criteria" for being included in the voters' list for the ADCs. According to "The Assam Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951", to qualify for a membership in the council, the person must be a
citizen of India India has two primary pieces of legislation governing nationality requirements, the Constitution of India and the Citizenship Act, 1955. All persons born in India between 26 January 1950 and 1 July 1987 automatically received citizenship by ...
, not younger than 25 years and be eligible to vote in the election of the members of the district council of that autonomous district.


Legal challenges and controversies

In 2017, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL/9/2017) titled ''Ratan Terang and 17 Ors Vs.The State of Assam and 8 Ors''., was filed in the
Gauhati High Court The Gauhati High Court was promulgated by governor general of India on 1 March 1948 after the Government of India Act 1935 was passed, establishing the high court with effect from 5 April 1948, for the then-province of Assam. It was originall ...
where the petitioners brought to the attention of the court that the elections in the Election District Council are being conducted under the Rules of 1951 and under Rule 128 (4)(b) of the said rules, individuals who are not members of the Scheduled Tribes are included in the electoral rolls of the district council. They argued that the rules of 1951 had lapsed after the first constitution of the district council and that any further action taken pursuant to the said rules was invalid. The Gauhati High Court in its judgement directed the council to frame the rules for conducting the election in exercise of its power under paragraph 2(7) of the Sixth Schedule within a period of 6 months of the order. In 2018, a PIL was filed to the Gauhati High court and Diphu Judicial Court arguing that no non-Scheduled Tribe person could contest in the Sixth Schedule council election. Three non-tribal MACs of the Karbi Anglong Autonomos Council were summoned by the Diphu Judicial Court for a
hearing Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds through an organ, such as an ear, by detecting vibrations as periodic changes in the pressure of a surrounding medium. The academic field concerned with hearing is auditory sci ...
. On 12 May 2022, the KAAC announced that elections would be held on 8 June 2022, leading to protests against the decision as the rules for conducting the elections to the council was not framed yet. Despite this, the elections were held on 8 June leading to reports of violence on the day of the election.


Geography


Topography

The districts plateau are an extension of the
Indian Plate The Indian plate (or India plate) is or was a minor tectonic plate straddling the equator in the Eastern Hemisphere. Originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwana, the Indian plate broke away from the other fragments of Gondwana an ...
(The Peninsular Block) in the
Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
. This area receives maximum rainfall from the Southwest summer Monsoon from June through September. Numerous rivers and tributaries flow in these districts such as the Dhansiri, Longnit, Jamuna, Kolioni and Nambor. The district is bounded by
Golaghat district Golaghat district (Pron:ˌgəʊləˈgɑ:t) is an administrative districts of Assam, district in the state of Assam in India. It attained district status in 1987. The district headquarters are located at Golaghat. The district occupies an area of ...
on the east and on the north,
Meghalaya Meghalaya (; "the abode of clouds") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeast India. Its capital is Shillong. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the Assam: the United Khasi Hills an ...
state and Morigaon district on the west,
Nagaon Nagaon is a city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Assam. It is situated east of Guwahati. With a population of 1,16,355 as per 2011 census it is an AMRUT City and 4th biggest city ...
and Dima Hasao district and
Nagaland Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...
state on the south. The district is located between 25º 33′ and 26º 35′ North latitude and from 92º 10′ to 93º 50′ East longitude.


Flora and fauna

About 40% of Karbi Anglong is covered with forest. According to MSME-Development Institute, Diphu, the important forest types found in Karbi Anglong District are: Moist semi-evergreen forests, Moist Mixed Deciduous forests, Riverain Type and Miscellaneous type with scattered pure or mixed patches of bamboos. These forest areas are natural museums of living giant trees, a treasure house of rare, endemic and endangered species, a dispensary of medicinal plants, a garden for Botanists, a
gene bank A gene bank is a type of biorepository that is used across the world to store the genetic material of animals, plants, and other organisms. It preserves their genetic information in the form of reproductive material like seeds, sperm, eggs, emb ...
for economically important organisms, a paradise for nature lovers and a laboratory for environmentalists. Threatened species in the area include
Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living ''Elephas'' species. It is the largest living land animal in Asia and the second largest living Elephantidae, elephantid in the world. It is char ...
,
Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...
, Clouded leopard and
Leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...
, Hoolock gibbon,
Pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smutsia''. ''Manis'' comprises four species found in Asia, while ' ...
,
Porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...
Slow loris Slow lorises are a group of several species of Nocturnality, nocturnal Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhine primates that make up the genus ''Nycticebus''. Found in Southeast Asia and nearby areas, they range from Bangladesh and Northeast India in the ...
etc. The district includes five wildlife sanctuaries, two elephant reserves (Dhansiri – Lumding and Kaziranga – Karbi Anglong) and 17 District Council Reserve Forests (DCRFs). In 1952, Karbi Anglong district became home to the Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, which has an area of . Other four Wildlife Sanctuaries are East Karbi-Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary, Marat Longri Wildlife Sanctuary, Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary and North Karbi-Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary. However, the forests and wildlife of these districts continue to face threats from deforestation and human activities, some of them illegal. Illegal minings is an immense concern as it very much contributes to ecological disturbance.


Climate

Due to the variation in the topography of this hill zone, different parts of the district experiences different climates. The winter season commences from October and continues till February. During the summer season, there is a significant rise in both humidity and warmth. The temperature ranges from 6-12° in winter and 23-32° in summer. The average rainfall is about 2416 mm.


Administration

The district is under the administration of
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. The council is constituted ...
. Diphu is the district headquarter, as well administrative headquarters of the same. The CEM of
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. The council is constituted ...
is the chairperson and chief executive of the council and district respectively, supported by twenty six other Executive Members of the council. The Principal Secretary, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council is the administrative head of the districts. The Deputy Commissioners is responsible for maintenance of Law and Order, Administration of Justice. Other important town of the districts is Bokajan. As per 2011 census, Total number of villages in the district is 2073 with combined 11 Development Blocks to look after the development activities in the district.


Constituency

There are three Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the district, namely Bokajan, Howraghat and Diphu. All are part of 3 S.T. Autonomous District Lok Sabha constituency of
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
designated for scheduled tribes.


Economy

In 2006, the Indian government named Karbi Anglong one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of
640 Year 640 ( DCXL) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 640 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming y ...
). It is one of the eleven districts in Assam currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme ( BRGFP). The GDP of the district was 2,198.39 crore (13th among
Districts of Assam Assam, a Northeast India, northeastern States and territories of India, state of India, is divided into 35 administrative geographical units called ''districts''. Assam has 35 districts. Administrations A district of an Indian state is an admi ...
) based at constant price (2004–2005) for year 2009–10.
Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
is the main source of income for the people along with
Horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
,
Livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
,
Plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...
,
Sericulture Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, the caterpillar of the Bombyx mori, domestic silkmoth is the most widely used and intensively studied silkwo ...
,
Weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
, etc. Tribals are generally self-sufficient. They mostly rely on wild vegetables found in hills both for domestic consumption and commercial purpose. File:Hanserong.jpg,
Roselle (plant) Roselle (''Hibiscus sabdariffa'') is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Hibiscus'' that is native to Africa, most likely West Africa. In the 16th and early 17th centuries it was spread to Asia and the West Indies, where it has since beco ...
(English)/Hanserong (local) is a common plant grown in almost every tribal household. Both its leaf & seed bud are consumed. File:Henru & Dongdar.jpg,
Colocasia ''Colocasia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions. The names elephant-ear and ...
or Henru (left) and its root or Dongdar (right) are consumed entirely.


Ginger

Karbi Anglong ginger has been accorded geographical indication (GI) status by the GI Registry of India. Karbi Anglong ginger's production, cultivated by around 10,000 farmers, averages 30,000 tonnes annually.


Rubber

in 2017–18 with a total area of 8,589.85 hectare and production of 2,925 million tonnes (third among inter districts of Assam) it generated 26,800 employments.


Tea

As per the Statistical Hand Book Assam, 2018 the district has 1,590 tea growers registered with
Tea Board of India The Tea Board of India is a state agency of the Government of India under the control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, established to promote the cultivation, processing, and domestic trade as well as export of tea from India. It was e ...
with total area of 2,488.21 hectares. In 2017, the district's tea production was 4.59 million kg and stood at No.12 among other
districts of Assam Assam, a Northeast India, northeastern States and territories of India, state of India, is divided into 35 administrative geographical units called ''districts''. Assam has 35 districts. Administrations A district of an Indian state is an admi ...
. The region also produces significant numbers of
Areca nut The areca nut ( or ) or betel nut () is the fruit of the areca palm (''Areca catechu''). The palm is originally native to the Philippines, but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 15 ...
, Baccaurea ramiflora, Beans,
Jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...
,
Maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
,
Orange (fruit) The orange, also called sweet orange to distinguish it from the bitter orange (''Citrus × aurantium''), is the fruit of a tree in the family (biology), family Rutaceae. Botanically, this is the hybrid Citrus × sinensis, ''Citrus'' × ''sinen ...
,
Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
,
Pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
,
Potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
and
Sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...
,
Plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...
,
Sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
,
Tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has ...
,
Turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...
, etc. One of CCI working factory (out of three) called Bokajan Cement Factory is located in Bokajan. Its product is exported to the whole country.


Potentiality for development

The district is rich in mineral resources. It has
Feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...
and
Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
reserves. According to the
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is the Ministry (government department), ministry in the Government of India. It is the apex executive body for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws relating to Sm ...
, Karbi Anglong has reserve
Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
of 1.3 m. tonnes,
Granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
of 30 m. cum and
Kaolinite Kaolinite ( ; also called kaolin) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina () ...
of 0.7 m. tonnes.


Demographics


Population

According to the 2011 census, Karbi Anglong District has a
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 965,280, This gives it a ranking of 451st in India (out of a total of
640 Year 640 ( DCXL) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 640 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming y ...
). The district has a population density of . Its
population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70 million annu ...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.58%. Karbi Anglong has a
sex ratio A sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. However, many species deviate from an even sex ratio, ei ...
of 951 females for every 1000 males, and a
literacy rate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
of 74%, with Male and Female constituting 82% and 65% respectively. The residual district has a population of 660,955. Karbi Anglong has a sex ratio of 950 females per 1000 males, of which 95,103 (14.39%) live in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are 33,523 (5.07%) and 345,220 (52.23%) of the population respectively.


Religion

Those practicing are
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
are 531,167 (80.36%) of the population.
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
is the second largest religion comprising 101,251 (15.32%) of the population.
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
are 19,057 (2.88%) while
Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...
are 5,767 (0.87%) of the population.


Languages

At the time of the 2011 census, 43.94% of the population spoke Karbi, 13.02% Bengali, 9.03% Assamese, 6.04% Boro Kachari, 4.67% Nepali, 3.70%
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, 2.65% Dimasa Kachari, 2.17%
Bhojpuri Bhojpuri may refer to: * Bhojpuri language, an Indo-Aryan language of India and Nepal * Bhojpuri grammar, grammatical rules of the language * Bhojpuri nouns, nouns of the language * Bhojpuri people, people who speak the language * Bhojpuri region ...
, 1.90% Sadri, 1.39% Kuki and 1.22% Garo as their first language. Karbi, Assamese,
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
and
English language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...
are used as the common language for communicating among different communities residing in district.


Culture

While the Karbis are the majority, there also exist numerous other ethnic groups like Tiwa, and Kuki tribes like Thadou and Hmar, found scattered throughout the district. All these
ethnicities An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, rel ...
represent different and unique identities, customs and traditions, clothing, food and religions of their own. However, these tribes share common practices like utilizing bamboo as food ( bamboo shoot) and for construction of their houses, they craft utensils from wood, cultivate cotton for
spinning Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
and practiced jhum cultivation. They also don't practice
dowries A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...
and clothing manufacture is counted among their traditional practices. Karbi Youth Festival is an annual festival celebrated by the Karbi people of Assam along with other tribals to propagate and display their rich culture and traditions in one platform. It is celebrated between 15 and 19 February of every year in Taralangso, Diphu,
Karbi Anglong District Karbi Anglong district is an District, administrative unit in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Assam. It is an autonomous district administered by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) according to the provisions ...
. It is locally called Karbi Riso-Nimso Rong Aje.


Demographics issues

In 1971
Census of India The decennial census of India has been conducted 15 times, as of 2011. While it has been undertaken every 10 years, beginning in 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo, the first complete census was taken in 1872. Post 1949, it has been conducted by the R ...
, the Tribal population was at 65%, as of 2011, it stand at 56.3% with large numbers of illegal influx and encroachment from outside causing disturbance to both natural landscape & economic opportunities. Illegal issuance of land patta is also the major concern for the Indigenous tribal communities. The
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. The council is constituted ...
, the Land Revenue and the Forest department of Karbi Anglong aided by Police and Executive Magistrate on 5 March 2019 demolished and evicted over 600 illegal structures and infiltrators built in Lankaijan Reserve Forest bordering
Hojai district Hojai District is a district in Assam, India. It was formed on 15 August 2015. The headquarters of the district is situated at Sankardev Nagar, which is about 8 km away from Hojai town. Hojai District was formed from three tehsils of N ...
. On 31 August, 10:00 am (
Indian Standard Time Indian Standard Time (IST), sometimes also called India Standard Time, is the time zone observed throughout the Republic of India, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments. I ...
) the much awaited National Register of Citizens of India (Assam) was declared. 19,06,657 were excluded out of 3.11 Crore people from all over
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
. According to many news reports, both from Karbi Anglong (10th position) & West Karbi Anglong district (7th position) 14.31% & 15.47% of people were excluded from these respective areas.


Tourism


Places of interest

A hilly district of Assam, Karbi Anglong is still somewhat unknown to the tourist in spite of its natural green forest and hills. Some reasons are poor connectivity, infrastructure. Several places local origin name have been renamed by outsiders. Visitors frequent littering openly have caused serious threat to these places. ; Diphu : It is a busy town located on a hill. There are tourist attractions in and around the town. ; Taralangso : It host a cultural museum. ; Akashi Ganga : 15  km away from Dokmoka. A stream of water flows down from the high hill. In front of it, there is a Siva temple. ; Dikrut Waterfall (also called Paklongkam) : It's a waterfall located on the mountain. Outsiders knows it by the name of Bhelughat. ; Garampani (also called Langkar-om) : Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary which is home of hoolock gibbon and golden langur. There is hot water spring in here near the National Highway-29 (also NH37). ; Kaipholangso : in Dolamara vicinity under No. 26 Duarbagori MAC Constituency in Karbi Anglong and famous for its scenic beauty and bordering the enchanting hills. Outsiders knows it as Kakochang falls. ; Kangthi Langso Waterfall : It's a waterfall located in Kangthi village, around 12 km from Den Arong (Dengaon). ; Longsokangthu (also called Siloni) : It is a picnic spot on the bank of a river, surrounded by hills and greenery. ; Silbheta (also called Arlong-Ru-pat) : It is a picnic spot located at a distance of 37 km from Diphu. The place surrounded by rain forests. A nature built stone bridge (dyke) with a waterfall is the main attraction of this place. ; Recreation Park : Recreation Park is a Government run Recreational cum Medicinal garden. It is a place of attraction for the tourists

; Langvoku Waterfall : Langvoku waterfall is 10km away from Manja, India, Manja (town) in Karbi Anglong (Assam). This place undoubtedly beautiful with its fountains. The place is located in Manja-Dilai area of the district. ; Tokolangso Waterfall : Tokolangso waterfall is on a hilly spot. The water falls down straight from the hilltop. The water is very cold and crystal clear in appearance. The place is located in Balipathar, 14km away from Bokajan.


Education

Karbi Anglong's major educational institutions are:


Universities

;
Assam University Assam University is a central public university located at Silchar, Assam, India. It was founded in the year 1994 by the provisions of an act enacted by the Parliament of India. Former Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha is the Chancellor, the Gover ...
, Diphu Campus : Located in hilly terrain spreading over 273 bighas allotted by Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council authority. It is about 8km westward from Diphu on NH-329A, Diphu-Lumding road. The campus is a pioneering higher-level study centre in this remote eastern part of the country. The Campus offers different Post-Graduate courses and research facilities.


Medical Colleges

; Diphu Medical College and Hospital


Colleges

The district has many well established colleges. Among them, Diphu Government College, is the only NAAC accredited government higher educational institution in the district. Other notably colleges are Diphu Law College; Don Bosco Junior College, Diphu; Eastern Karbi Anglong College, Sarihajan; and Thong Nokbe College, Dokmoka.


Technical institutes

* Diphu polytechnic * Indian Technical Institute TI


Schools

Government's schools in the district follow the
State State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
, as well Central curriculum. The management of the schools in the district falls under three categories: government, private, and missionary. Some of the well known schools are: Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Diphu; Badan Memorial Higher Secondary School, Diphu; Diphu Govt. Boys Higher Secondary School, Diphu; Diphu Govt. Girls High School, Diphu; Howraghat Higher Secondary School, Howraghat; Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Diphu;
Kendriya Vidyalaya The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of Government of India, central government schools in India. Governed by the Ministry of Education (India), Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,257 schools in India, ...
, Diphu & Bokajan; Kidzee, Diphu; Vidhya Sagar High School, Bokajan; Krist Jyoti School, Dokmoka; Mount Calvary English High School, Diphu; Aturkimi Academy, Diphu and Presbyterian Mission High School, Diphu.


Media


Newspaper

'' The Arleng Daily'', a Karbi daily founded in 2004, is a tabloid format newspaper that heralded a new beginning for Karbi newspaper. '' Thekar'', another Karbi daily, is the first RNI Registered Karbi newspaper. Since then, there are several dailies in Karbi language. In the year of 2005–06, a Hindi newspaper ''Jana Prahari'' was launched from Baguliaghat, a small town in Karbi Anglong. 'Hill Observer' is an English daily newspaper published from Diphu. The Drongo Express, an English daily, is published from Diphu, Karbi Anglong. The Hills Times, started publication from 2000, is the most widely circulated English daily published from Diphu and is printed in
Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...
.


Television

*
Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...
TV relay centre, Diphu * KAT News (Cable Channel), Diphu * Karbi Anglong Live (Cable Channel), Hamren, West Karbi Anglong * KaCOM (Cable Channel) not in function since 2015, Bokajan


Radio

*
All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...
, Diphu


Transportation


Road

The district is connected to other place by road though NH-29, NH-39, and NH-329.


Railway

Bokajan and Diphu railway station are the main railway station in the district.


Notable towns

* Amlakhi * Bokajan * Bokulia * Diphu * Dokmoka * Howraghat * Manja


Notable people

* Joyram Engleng * Biren Sing Engti * Semsonsing Ingti, founder of Karbi Anglong district ''(the then Mikir Hills)''. * Jayanta Rongpi * Sameer Tanti, Sahitya Akademi Award for the Book ''Foringbure Bator Kotha Jane'' * Prof. Rongbong Terang, Padmashree awardee.


See also

*
List of districts of Assam Assam, a Northeast India, northeastern States and territories of India, state of India, is divided into 35 administrative geographical units called ''districts''. Assam has 35 districts. Administrations A district of an Indian state is an admi ...


Notes


References


External links


Karbi Anglong district official website
{{Authority control States and territories established in 1970 1976 establishments in Assam Autonomous regions of India Districts of Assam