Darkness was slowly descending on a misty evening when we arrived at Haflong, the headquarters of North Cachar Hills and Assam’s lone hill resort, en route to Jatinga. Even as we were stretching our stiff limbs after a long journey from Guwahati, a light drizzle started and the nippy raindrops pricked our cheeks, as if to soothe our numb senses after the arduous drive on a sultry summer day.

In the night, Haflong seemed to be a rather quiet and sleepy town, with little human activity around. As there was not much we could do at that hour, we resigned ourselves to the comfort of our hotel rooms and slept tight.

Early next morning, the grandeur of Haflong slowly opened up before us. From a vantage location, we feasted our eyes on the rising sun coming out from a thick maze of clouds. The hovering clouds, with an uncanny knack of changing their hues every now and then, lend Haflong an innate natural touch. The view around was lovely, with the lofty Barail range in the backdrop adding to the charm of the landscape.

Haflong and the NC Hills as a whole offer a wide array of interests for tourists. The rolling Barail hills has Jatinga nestling in it. Known for the weird bird-suicide phenomenon, Jatinga is a popular tourist destination. We ventured into the nearby Heritage Village, the historic town of Maibang with its remnants of a glorious past, the dream valley of Umrangsu, the waterfalls of Panimoor and the endless pineapple orchards of Harangajao; they make for a heady combination that casts a spell on any traveller.

We visited Jatinga in the afternoon. From the bird-watching tower, we got a panoramic view of the mist-clad hills and the verdant valley. The distant town of Maibong lay by the side of the serpentine Mahur. However, the few birds we saw were certainly in no mood to commit suicide!

Actually, the so-called phenomenon of bird-suicide is a misnomer. What happens is a cold-blooded killing of the winged denizens en masse during a particular season. The common practice is to lure the disoriented birds — which seem to lose direction on dark, foggy nights — with fire torches and then to beat them cruelly with sticks and bamboo poles. This is obviously a barbaric practice that needs to be stopped immediately.

Maibong, situated on the bank of the Mahur about 50km from Haflong, is an another idyllic locale. The ancient capital of the Kachari kings, Maibong has ruins and relics from the days of yore, including a stone palace and temples.

The Haflong Circuit House, located atop a hill, is another attraction. One can have a striking view of the surroundings, including the magnificent sunset, from here.

Among Haflong’s most notable features is its diverse ethnicity. Inhabited by a dozen major tribes having rich, vibrant cultures, Haflong is a multi-coloured mosaic.

Of equal interest to the tourist would be ‘Haflong Hindi’. The lingua franca of NC Hills, Haflong Hindi follows neither grammar nor diction of proper Hindi but is comprehensible to just about anyone having a little idea of Hindi.

It is an irony that a place like Haflong having such diverse tourist interests continues to languish for want of development. As a tourist spot, it has got little publicity, and to make matters worse, the prevailing insurgency continues to be a persistent irritant. But with adequate thrust on tourism and infrastructure development, one can successfully negate insurgency and help NC Hills emerge out of the morass.

An army officer, who has been in Haflong for several years, echoed our feelings. “A flourishing tourism scene could be the most effective antidote to insurgency in the region. Enhanced people-to-people contact and facilitating the growth of tourism through infrastructure development and publicity can usher in a new era of peace and progress in Haflong and NC Hills,” he felt.

Going

Jatinga is 330km from Guwahati and only 9km from Haflong.

There is a bird watching centre in Jatinga, where one can stay if one gets permission from the district forestry office in Haflong. Buses to Silchar pass through Jatinga. But it may be easier to make a day-trip from Haflong by autorickshaw.

Staying

Though accommodation at Jatinga is scarce, there are various places that one opt for in Haflong. It is only a few minutes’ ride.

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