Picture of poverty
Karbi Anglong is the poorest district of Assam, as the Human Poverty Index rank of this district is 23 out of the 23 districts.

Tapati Baruah Kashyap

The percentage of poor in Assam is the highest among the seven states of the northeast. Of fate, the percentage of people below the poverty line tends to decline but very slowly- Of course, the percentage of poor people varies from district to district. According to Assam Human Development Report 2003, Karbi Angiong is the poorest district of Assam, as the Human Poverty Index rank of this district is 23 out of the 23 districts.

According to the 2001 census, the population of Karbi Angiong district is 8,12,320 and is dominated by the Karbi Tribe. Besides, Rengam, Lalungs (Zima), Dimasa Kacharis, Bodos, Rungma, Nagas, Kukis, Garos, Khasis, Tea Tribes, Shyams, Hmars, Mizos etc are the other inhabitants of this district.

During the British rule, the predominantly tribal inhabited areas were constituted as the ‘Scheduled District’ in the year 1874. To facilitate better administration, Mikir Hills tract was constituted as “Partially Excluded areas” under the Govt. of India Act, 1935. However, after India attained independence, “United Mikir Hills and N.C. Hills District” was created on 17th November 1951.

The year 1952 saw the creation of two independent Autonomous District Councils and were named as the North Cachar Hills District Council and the Mikir Hills District Council. Finally, on the 2nd of February 1970 for administrative convenience, the erstwhile “Mikir Hills and N.C. Hills Districts” was bifurcated into two separate districts with district geographical boundaries respectively. Subsequently, on 14th of October 1976, the name of the district was re-named as ‘Karbi Anglong District”.

The Karbis, the predominant tribe, inhabiting the erstwhile Mikir Hills District were called as ‘Mikir’ by people other then its own community even though since time immemorial the tribes identified themselves as “Karbi”. The Karbis here have come a long way in their journey through time since the primitive stage.

At present, the literacy rate of Karbi angling is 58.83 percent and while male literacy rate of Karbi Anglong is 68.11 percent and the female literacy rate is 48.65 percent. The percentage of people not expected to survive to age 40 is 8.13 percent, which means about 67 thousand people of the district will not live beyond 40 years. And the percentage of people without safe drinking water is 59.7 and percentage of people without access to health care is 37.9 percent. And the percentage of people not having pucca dwelling houses is 90.7 percent. Thus, as a whole 40.40 percent of people are deprived of a decent standard of living comprising of health care facilities, safe drinking water and dwelling houses. On the other hand, at present 15 per cent children are out of school at Karbi Angiong. And the infant mortality rate is 76.

Although Karbi Anglong has the distinction of being the largest district in the in terms of area, yet it has enormous problems, which have crippled the lives of people in various ways. It is the poorest district in terms of literacy rate, infant mortality rate and the picture of poverty is to be seen everywhere. When we compare the two hill districts of Assam in terms of different human poverty indications, we find that Karbi Anglong is much behind N.C. Hills.

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