Silchar

Silchar
—  city  —
Silchar Location of Silchar in Assam and India
Coordinates	24°49′N 92°48′E
Country	India
State	Assam
District(s)	Cachar
Population	144,003 (2001)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 22 metres (72 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 7880xx • Telephone • +91 (0) 3842 • UN/LOCODE • INIXS • Vehicle • AS-11
Website	www.cachar.nic.in

Silchar (Bengali: শিলচর Shilchôr, Assamese: শিলচৰXilsôr, Sylheti: হিলচর Hilchor) 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.^{[citation needed]} It is 343 kilometres (213 mi) south east of Guwahati. The city of Silchar is the second largest city in the state of Assam and an important commercial centre and consequently witnesses the settlement of a sizable population of traders from distant parts of India.

Being politically stable in the otherwise disturbed Northeast earned it the bon mot of "Island of Peace" from India's then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.^{[citation needed]}

During the British rule, ships were docked at the bank of the "River Barak" so a market developed at the bank and became a major place of economic activity. The bank was covered with stones to help dock 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", meaning a bank of stone. Gradually "Shiler Chor" became "Silchar" for linguistic simplification and, later on, British officials started to use "Silchar" in their official documents referring to the surrounding area of the market. "Silchar" became the official name of the place.

Approximately 90% residents of Silchar are Bengalis who speak the Sylheti dialect, the rest being Manipuri (Meitei), Marwaris, Bishnupriya Manipuris, Assamese 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, and chunga-r peetha are some of the local delicacies. Over the past few years, the town is witnessing a huge influx of people from nearby smaller places due to the Silchar's increasing 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 over-crowded. It has the second highest population in the state, although the difference with the most populated city, Guwahati, is quite large.

Geography

Silchar is located in 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 to Guwahati, Assam; Agartala, Tripura; Imphal, Manipur and Aizawl in Mizoram state. The area of Silchar town is 15.75 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, Madhurband, Sonai Road, Rangirkhari, Das Colony, Link Road, Kalibari Chor etc.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Silchar had a population of around 141,000. It is considered that the population has crossed the 500,000 mark due to the constant increase in the city's population since 2001.^{[citation needed]} 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 & Islam.^{[citation needed]}

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 - one in 1986, followed by 1991 and in 2004. .

Education

Silchar has some of the best educational institutes in 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 region. REC Silchar, as it was known previously, is now an Institute of National Importance.^{[citation needed]}

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 has 51 affiliated colleges under it.

Some reputed schools in Silchar include Silchar Collegiate School, Cachar High School, Adhar Chand Higher Secondary School, Narsing School, Govt. Boys School, Govt. Girls School, Holy Cross 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 are Guru Charan College, Cachar College, Ramanuj Gupta Memorial Junior College, Radhamadhab College etc. Guru Charan College is one of the most respected and reputed colleges in Assam.^{[citation needed]}

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. It is connected by a meter gauge rail network to Lumding and Agartala which is currently being updated to broad gauge lines. The railway station is in Tarapur, Silchar. Regular bus services connect it 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. The airport is being mordernised and is considered the second-busiest in Assam in terms of passenger foot-fall and cargo, after Guwahati airport.^{[citation needed]}

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.

History

Cachar district records

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.^{[citation needed]} The first competitive modern form of polo was played in Silchar; the plaque for this feat still stands behind the District Library, Silchar.^{[citation needed]}

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, when Assam police opened fire on unarmed protesters at Silchar Railway Station, 11 agitators died. After the popular revolt, the Assam government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the three districts of Barak Valley.

Gallery

• 

  Barak Bridge through Silchar

• 

  Tarapur and Silchar Station

• 

  Silchar Airport

Politics

Silchar is part of the Silchar (Lok Sabha constituency) and the current member of Parliament from Silchar is Kabindra Purkayastha of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Media

Radio

All India Radio, Akashvani Silchar broadcasts on AM.

Television

Doordarshan, DD Silchar.

Local newspapers

• Dainik Jugasankha (Bengali daily)Web Edition
• Dainik Prantajyoti (Bengali daily)
• Samayik Prasanga (Bengali daily)
• Dainik Sonar Cachar (now defunct)
• Janakantha (Bengali daily)
• Eastern Chronicle (English daily)

Besides the local newspapers, national dailies like The Telegraph, Anandabazar Patrika, [The Times of India]], The Statesman etc. are available.

See also

• Silchar (Lok Sabha constituency)

External links

• Official governmental site of Silchar
• NIT, Silchar
• Assam University, Silchar
• Guru Charan College, Silchar
• Cachar College, Silchar
• Silchar Medical College & Hospital, Silchar
• Radhamadhab College, Silchar
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