Assam: Jatinga festival to highlight tourism, peace and unity

With terrorist groups being in truce mode insurgency is on the wane in picturesque ethnic mosaic called Dima Hasao (erstwhile North Cachar Hills) district in Assam.

With guns going silent, promotion of tourism and adventure sports have taken the centre stage in the area, much to the delight of the local tribal population which want to make most of the prevailing peace, an uneasy one of course.

After the successful conduct of the Jatinga Festival 2010 last year, the second edition will be held this year from October 19-24 in the hill district, as part of the campaign launched to promote tourism in the area.

"This festival is being organised not only to promote eco-tourism but also to showcase the art and craft, music and dance, culture and cuisine of the various ethnic groups of the district inhabited by ethnic groups such as Dimasa, Hmar, Baite, Kuki, Karbi etc,"says Kulendra Daulagupu, secretry general of the orginising committee.

The festival is set to be flagged by Assam's tourism minister Chndan Brahma.

Bird watching, trekking to the Hempeupet Peak, trekking to the Behendao Baiglai Waterfalls, prize money angling competition at Dihangi etc will be the highlights of this edition of the festival.

The prize money angling competition is one of the new attractive additions to this edition of the festival. The angling competition will be held on OCtober 22-23 along the Diyung River at Dihangi and is inclusive of both bank and boat fishing.

Golden Masheer (Dimasa name – Nayung), chocolate masheer (Nasur) etc are some of the fish species found abundantly in the stretch of the River. The prize for the biggest Catch is Rs 30,000/.

Guns have been silent in the district since peace initiatuve was undertaken with various insurgent groups including both factions of the Dima Halam Daogah.

There was a mass surrender by over 400 armed cadres of DHD on October 2, 2009. The Nunisa faction of the DHD had already been in truce and engaged in peace process with the government. The DHD factions used to run riot in the district for about a decade bringing all development activities to a standstill.