Dima Hasao district

During the medieval period (1500–1854), Dima Hasao was part of the Dimasa Kachari Kingdom called the "Kachari kingdom", with its capital at Maibang. The Dimasa Kingdom as per Ahom Buranji, stretched from the Kopili river in present-day Nagaon district to the Dhansiri river in present-day Golaghat district.[4] This includes parts of Cachar and North Cachar (Dima Hasao), the districts of Hojai, Nagaon, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong of Assam and Dimapur district, in Nagaland.

Raja Govinda Chandra Hasnu

In the colonial period, Khaspur in present-day Cachar district was the administrative centre. However an internal schism led to the division of the old Cachar Kingdom into two parts. The last Dimasa king, Govinda Chandra Hasnusa, assigned Kashi Chandra the hilly tract of Cachar (i.e. the area between Mahur river and the Naga Hills in the south, the Doyang river on the west, the Dhansiri River on the east and Jamuna river in the north.) for administrative purposes. Soon the latter declared his independence over the hilly portion. That led to the treacherous murder of Kashi Chandra by Raja Govinda Chandra Hasnusa. Incensed, the son of Kashi Chandra, Tularam Senapati, incessantly created political turbulence, asserting his sovereignty over hilly portion of Cachar Kingdom. Finally, with British assistance, Tularam succeeded in carving out his own territory from Cachar Kingdom. David Scott, agent to the British Raj in 1829[5] made an arrangement to recognise Tularam as the ruler of hilly tract of Cachar. In 1850, Tularam died and the frequent Angami raids and a grave incident at Semkhor village paved the ground to extend British influence over Tularam's territory. In 1852, his territory was annexed and made part of the Nowgong district of British Assam as a subdivision, with Asalu as its headquarter.[6][Note 1]

In 1867, this sub-division was abolished and apportioned into three parts among the Cachar, Naga Hills district, and Nowgong district. The present area of the Dima Hasao district was included in the old Cachar district. In 1880, this portion was constituted into a sub-division with headquarters at Gunjung under Cachar district.

Tularam Senapati's territory depicted in the map of British India created by W. G. Blackie in 1860

Map of Eastern Bengal and Assam created by J. G. Bartholomew in 1907. A part of Tularam's territory (stretching from Jamuna river to Lumding) was transferred to Sivasagar district and the rest (stretching from Lumding to Maibang) was transferred to Cachar district.

This headquarters was shifted to Haflong in 1895. Since then, Haflong has continued to be the headquarters. In 1951, after the adoption of the Indian constitution, North Cachar Hills ceased to be a part of Cachar district, as specified under paragraph 20 of the sixth schedule to the constitution. This part, along with Mikir Hills, constituted a new civil district named "United District of North Cachar and Mikir Hills", which went into effect on 17 November 1951. According to a provision of the sixth schedule, two different councils were later constituted, viz., North Cachar Hills District Council and Mikir Hills District Council. Within those geographical boundaries, North Cachar Hills District Council was inaugurated on 19 April 1952.

On 17 November 1951, Mikir Hills and North Cachar Hills District was created with area occupying present Dima Hasao district, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. On 2 February 1970, the government declared an independent administrative district, viz., North Cachar Hills District with the geographical boundary of autonomous North Cachar Hills district council. At present, this autonomous council possesses administrative control over almost all departments of the district except Law and Order, Administration, and Treasury department.

Kopili HEP

Kopili Hydro Electric Project is a power project near Umrangso, involving two dams on Kopili river and Umrong nalla, a tributary of Kopili. There are two power stations as part of Kopili HEP, Khandong Stage I & II (75 MW) and Kopili Stage I & II (200 MW), with total output of 275 MW.[11]

According to the 2011 census, Dima Hasao has a population of 214,102,[1] roughly equal to the nation of Samoa.[13] This gives it a ranking of 588th in India (out of a total of 640).[1] The district has a population density of 44 inhabitants per square kilometre (110/sq mi).[1] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 13.53%.[1] Dima Hasao has a sex ratio of 931 females for every 1000 males[1] and a literacy rate of 78.99%.[1]

Dima Hasao is one of the three hill districts in Assam with a tribal majority population, the others being Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong. The tribal population in Dima Hasao accounts for about 70.92% of the total population of the district according to the 2011 census, the highest percentage in the state. Scheduled Castes are 2.02%. The major indigenous communities inhabiting the district are Dimasa Kachari, Karbi, Zeme Naga, and Kuki tribes like Hmar, Biate, Thadou people, Vaiphei people , Hrangkhol people, Sakachep people and Khelma people number of minor indigenous communities including: Khasi-Pnars, Rongmei Naga. The Thadou people , Hmar, Biate, Hrangkhol, Khelma people, Hrangkhol people and Vaiphei language speakers belong to the Kuki people ethnic group. Non-indigenous communities includes Kanrupi Bengali, Gorkha tribes, Deshwali tribes and few other communities who have made the district their home.

As per the language data, the largest non-tribal communities are Bengalis (25,264: change of -7.53% from 2001), Nepalis (13,615: +9.76%), Hindi speakers (9,926: +13.83%), Assamese speakers (4,057: -26.32%), Halam(Ranglong)-Kuki/Khelma/Riam (1,940 : +15.41%), Bodo-Kachari (1,604 : -7.82%), Meitei (1,373 : -24.64%), Tripuri (527: -21.11%), and Bishnupriya (401: -14.32%).[14]

As of the 2011 census, 67.07% of the population are Hindus, 29.57% Christians and 2.04% Muslims.[15]

At the time of the 2011 census, 35.72% of the district spoke Dimasa, 11.80% Bengali, 9.65% Zeme, 7.65% Hmar, 6.36% Nepali, 5.11% Kuki, 4.46% Karbi, 3.14% Hindi, 1.93% Khasi, 1.89% Assamese[14]

Dimasa and Haflong Hindi (a speech form of Hindi) and Bengali are the main lingua franca in the Dima Hasao.[18]

• Haflong Government College, Haflong
• J.B Hagjer Junior College, Umrangso
• B. Bodo Junior College, Maibang
• Hills Degree College, Haflong
• J.B Hagjer Memorial Junior College, Diyungbra
• Maibang Degree College, Maibang
• Sengya Sambudhan Junior College, Haflong
• M.C.D Junior College, Harangajao.

Prominent schools in the district:

• Ever Green High School, Maibang
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya,NEEPCO, Umrangso
• Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Haflong
• Lower Haflong High School.
• Trinity High School, Mahur
• Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sarkari Bagan, Haflong
• Mahur High School, Mahur
• St. Agnes Convent Higher Secondary School, Dibarai, Haflong
• Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Haflong
• CHT Synod Higher Secondary School, Haflong
• Tularam Memorial Good Shepherd School, Gunjung
• Presbyterian High School, Mahur
• Langting High School, Langting
• HM St. Mary's High School, Langting
• Prabananda Vidya Mandir, Maibang
• Raja Gobindh Chandra Aarsh Gurukulum, Diyungbra
• Royal Academy, Umrangso
• Jamundadevi Saraswati School
• Sacred Heart High school, Umrangso
• Covenant High School, Bethel, Haflong

• All India Radio, Akashvani Haflong broadcasts from Haflong at 100.02 megahertz on FM band.

• Haflong Khurang (Dimasa weekly)
• Haflong Times (English weekly)
• Dima Hasao Post (English weekly)
• Agape (Hmar weekly)
• Shoilo Prohori (Bengali Weekly)