Silchar is the headquarters of Cachar district in the state of Assam in India. It is south east of Guwahati. It earned it the bon mot of “Island of Peace” from India's then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Etymology
During the British rule, ships were docked at the bank of the riverBarak. Gradually, 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 was developed at a place that was fully covered with stones. People started to refer to the place as Shiler Chor, meaning "a bank of stones" in Bengali. With the passage of time, Shiler Chor was simplified to Silchar, and ultimately the British officials started to use the name Silchar in their official documents referring to the surrounding area of the market. Thus Silchar became the official name of the place.
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. The first competitive modern form of polo was played in Silchar, and the plaque for this feat still stands behind the District Library, Silchar.
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. Eleven people were killed.
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. Section 5 of Assam Act XVIII, 1961, safeguards the use of Bengali in the Cachar district. It says, “Without prejudice to the provisions contained in Section 3, the Bengali language shall be used for administrative and other official purposes up to and including district level.”
Earthquakes
Silchar is in Zone V on the Seismic Zonation Map and has witnessed major earthquake events. The earthquake in January 1869 was of magnitude of 7.5 Ms and caused heavy damages. Other significant earthquake examples include events in 1947, 1957, and 1984.
Industries
ONGC has its base located at Srikona, near Silchar, which is known as Cachar Forward Base with ongoing operations in Tripura, Mizoram and Barak Valley.
Cachar Paper Mill is the only major industrial undertaking in south Assam and the adjoining states of Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. Despite lack of infrastructural facilities in a remote location, CPM has a continuous record of steady improvement. During the year 2006–07, the mill recorded the highest annual production of 1,03,155 MT registering over 103% capacity utilization, which was 100% during the previous year.
Administration
The first municipal activities in Silchar was in 1833. It had a station committee which had nominated members. The city had its first municipality in 1893. Presently, it is governed by the Silchar Municipal Board.
Geography
Silchar is located in the southernmost part of Assam. It is located between longitudes 92º24’ E and 93º15’ E and latitudes 24º22’N and 25º8’N East and is 35 meters above mean sea level. The city is located in an alluvial flat plain with swamps, streams, and isolated small hills marking its landscape. Apart from Barak river, the other major river is Ghagra river. It falls under Zone V on the Seismic Zonation Map.
Demographics
According to 2011 India census, Silchar municipal area has a population of 1,72,830. The sex ratio of Silchar is 989 females per 1,000 males, which is above the national ratio of 940 females per 1,000 males. Silchar municipal area has an average literacy rate of 82.33%, higher than the national average of 74.04%, with male literacy at 84.15% and female literacy at 80.49%.
Religion
is the majority religion in Silchar city with around 1,54,381 followers. Islam is the second most popular religion in Silchar with approximately 21,759 followers. Jainism is followed by 1,408 peoples, Christianity by 1,052 peoples, Sikhism by 77 peoples and Buddhism by 39 peoples of Silchar city. Around 145 peoples didn't stated their religion.
Climate
Silchar has a borderline tropical monsoon climate slightly too hot in the “winter” or “cool” season to qualify as a humid subtropical climate. During this “cool” season the weather is generally warm and dry with cool to mild mornings; however, the “wet” season begins early as the monsoon moves into the region during April, with the result that for seven months of the year Silchar has very hot and humid weather with heavy thunderstorms almost every afternoon until the middle of October, when there is usually a brief period of hot and relatively dry weather before the “cool” season sets in during November.
Education
University
Silchar is home to the main campus of Assam University, a central university, which imparts education in both the general as well as professional streams. The university, which came into existence in 1994, has 17 schools and 35 post-graduate departments under them. The university has 56 affiliated colleges under it. The colleges in Silchar are mostly affiliated with the Assam university.
Silchar Medical College and Hospital, established in 1968, serves the southern region of Assam. There is an Institute of Pharmacy attached to it.
Law colleges
A. K. Chanda Law College at Tarapur.
Airway transport
is located at Kumbhirgram, about 22 km from Silchar. Silchar has been selected as one of the towns for the construction of 51 low-cost airports across the country recently. 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.
