About  Silchar

Silchar (Bengali: শিলচর Shilchôr, Assamese: শিলচৰ Xilsôr, Sylheti: শিলচর Shilchor) is the headquarters of Cachar district in the state of Assam in India. It is the economic gateway to the state of Mizoram and part of Manipur. It is situated 420 kilometres (261 mi) south east of Guwahati. The city of Silchar has tremendous commercial importance and is the second largest city in the state of Assam. It consequently, witnesses the settlement of a sizable population of traders from distant parts of India.

Being a very peaceful place in the otherwise disturbed North-East earned it the bon mot of "Island of Peace" from India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.The name "Silchar" has been originated from the Bengali words 'Shil' (a kind of stone) & 'Char' (river bank). During the British rule, ships were docked at the bank of the "River Barak" so a market developed at the bank of the river and became a major place of economic activity. The bank of the River Barak was covered with stones to help docking of ships and vessels and the market developed at a place which was fully covered with stones. People started to refer to the place as "Shiler Chor" means a bank of stone. Gradually "Shiler Chor" became "Silchar" for linguistic simplification. Later on, British officials started to use "Silchar" in their official documents referring the surrounding area of the market and "Silchar" became the official name of the place. Approximately 90% residents of Silchar are Bengalis who speak the Sylheti dialect, the rest being Manipuri-Meiteis, Marwaris, Bishnupriya Manipuris, and some tribal groups like Nagas. Silchar is situated by the banks of the Barak River in what is popularly known as Barak Valley. Rice is the staple cereal. Fish is also available. Shuţki (the local name for dried fish), shidal chutney, "chunga-r peetha" are some of the local delicacies. Over the past few years, the town is constantly witnessing a huge influx of people from nearby smaller places due to the town's increasing future prospects and other developments in the field of education, medical facilities and the more recently booming real estate market and other commercial enterprises, making the town quite an overcrowded one. It has the second highest population in the state, although the difference with the highest populated city, Guwahati, is quite huge.

Geography

Silchar is located at the southern part of Assam. Situated on the banks of the Barak River, 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.The area of silchar town is 20 km². It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72 feet). Major localities of Silchar include Central Road, Sadarghat, Tarapur, Malugram, Janiganj, Park Road, Itkhola, Ambikapatty, Shillongpatty, Premtala, Nazirpatty etc.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Silchar had a population of 346,003. But presently, it is considered that the population has actually crossed the 500,000 mark due to the constant increase in the city's population since 2001.  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, 20% of the population is under 6 years of age. Major religions followed are Hinduism and Islam.

Climate

At Silchar, the climate is tropical by nature. The wind generally blows from the northeast in the morning and from the southeast in the afternoon. Summer is hot, humid and interspersed with heavy rainfall 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 frequently due to excessive rainfall and flooding by the river Barak. In the last three decades, Silchar and the Barak Valley have been ravaged by three major floods—in 1986, followed by the one in 1991, and more recently in 2004.

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.

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 16 schools and 34 Post-Graduate departments under them. The university also has 51 affiliated colleges under it.

Some reputed schools in Silchar include Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Cachar High School, Adhar Chand H.S. School, Holy Cross School, Silchar Collegiate School, Narsing School, Govt. Boys School, Govt. Girls school, Muktashree High School, Pranabananda Holy Child School, South Point School, Oriental High School, Daffodils School, Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Pranabananda Vidya Mandir, a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Don Bosco School amongst others. Among the colleges, the best known ones are Guru Charan College, Cachar College, Ramanuj College, Radhamadhab College etc. Guru Charan College is one of the most respected and reputed colleges in the whole of Assam.

The city has a medical college, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, established in 1968,serving the southern regions of Assam. There is also a Polytechnic Institute, B.Ed colleges, two Law colleges and one Industrial Training Institute (ITI).

Connectivity

Silchar is well connected by road, rail and air to the rest of the country.

Silchar is connected through meter gauge rail network with Lumding and Agartala and this is currently being updated to broad gauge lines. The railways station is located at Tarapur, Silchar.

There are regular 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, Tezpur, Agartala, Imphal & Aizawl. The airport is being mordernised and is considered as the second busiest in Assam in terms of passenger foot-fall and cargo, after Guwahati airport.

In December 1985, Air India operated the first all-woman crew flight in the world from Kolkata to Silchar which was commanded by Captain Saudamini Deshmukh on a Fokker F-27 Friendship aircraft.^[7

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 Dudpatil 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.

Language martyrs

Silchar saw one of the uprisings in favour of the Bengali language. When the Assam Government, under Chief Minister Bimala Prasad Chaliha, passed a circular to make Assamese mandatory, Bengalis of Barak Valley protested. On 19 May 1961, Assam Police opened fire on unarmed protesters at Silchar Railway Station in which 11 agitators died. After the popular revolt, Assam Government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the three districts of Barak Valley.

Silchar hi Assam State ading a Khopi alenpen loi khat ahina ban ah Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Assam chuleh Nagaland a ding a kijahmat tona munpi khat jong ahi. Silchar sung'a hin Assam (Central) University, Silchar Medical College, National Institute of Technology (formerly Regional Engineering College) chule College dang dang tampi aumtoh lhon in themjil chapang/simlai tampi in themjilna anei in ahi. Chuleh, Company le banking lam ah Silchar hi Assam a ding'a hetthei loikhat  ahitoh kilhon in Kuki chanu le chapate natong (employee) tamtah jong aumin ahi. Kuki Chate le simlai ho kijah mat tona le Nampi a ding a phatchomna ahiding kineppi najallin May 1,2011(Sunday) ni in umlou apoimo mo dan seikhomna akineitoh lhon in ana kiphut doh tan ahi. President le Secretary ding jong lhendohna akinei pai in ahi.

NAMPI KINGAINA IHIUVE TAHCHAPA LE TAHCHANU TEHO