| caption: |
North Cachar and Naga Hills administration; migration to Diger to avoid coolie work and duty to supply rice |
| text: |
With Deputy Commissioner, Nowgong as far as the sources of the Watingdisa river, where we discussed our proposals for a notification amending the boundary. After parting I went through Khelma and Hajong to Ayenbung. Khelma is a village of Tipperas who migrated north driven by the Lushai northward migration. There is one other village in that area of the Naga Hills notified district which pays revenue to Nowgong, but Khelma will probably not fall into that area if it remains where it is. Hajong is a Kachari village and Ayenbung a mixed village of Thado and Bete Kukis. I inspected the census work of these villages and gave some instructions about it. |
| text: |
I discussed with the Ayenbung Kukis the respective merits of the North Cachar and Naga Hills Administrations. One Gaonbura of a village of Betes admitted that he had settled in Diger to avoid being impressed with other inhabitants of the North Cachar Hills for a Lushai Expedition. A Thado admitted that he and his fellow villagers had migrated from the Naga Hills to the North Cachar Hills but had come back because it was possible to sit in Diger without being called on to work on bridle paths or to carry loads, or to supply rice. An old Kuki Gaonbura declared that if the Naga Hills boundary were put back to the Dhansiri he would migrate at once as he had never lived in any other district and never meant to. He, however, had had more drink than was good for him and admitted having moved to Diger to escape work on the Henima bridle path. |
