Social media might be loud, but centuries-old records are louder. That seems to be the message the All-India Chakma Students’ Union (AICSU) sent this week when it stepped into a growing online debate about the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the origin of a place once called Demagiri — now known as Tlabung in Mizoram’s Lunglei district.
Setting the Record Straight
The AICSU didn’t just issue a statement — it essentially walked into the debate armed with maps, colonial-era administrative orders, and academic research. The organisation said that discussions around the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Demagiri have been swirling on social media platforms, and it felt the time had come to ground those conversations in actual evidence. Their position is clear: these are not matters of opinion. They are matters of documented history. During the British period, the CHT was administered under three recognised chiefs — the Chakma, Mong, and Bohmong Rajas. The Chakmas were the largest hill community in the region, and smaller tribes in the area paid taxes to these three chiefs.
A Portuguese Map from the 1500s
This is where things get genuinely fascinating. The AICSU pointed to a map of Bengal drawn between 1525 and 1550 by Portuguese cartographer Diego de Astor — one of the earliest cartographic references to the Chakmas. The name “Chacomas” appears on the eastern bank of the Karnaphuli River. The map was later published in João de Barros’ Quarta Decada da Asia in 1615. Not exactly a Twitter thread. Citing research by Prof Jangkhongam Doungel of Mizoram University, the organisation noted that British intervention over time altered the administrative structure of the Chakma kingdom considerably, eventually splitting it in 1860 into two units — a regulated district under Bengal, and the CHT as a non-regulated district.
The Story Behind “Demagiri”
Then there is the matter of the name itself. The AICSU argues that “Demagiri” was never a Mizo word to begin with. They trace it to “Devagiri,” a combination of the Pali words Deva (god) and Giri (hills). The name appeared in British official records in forms like “Demagree” and “Demagri,” predating the current name Tlabung by a considerable stretch. The formal renaming happened through a private member resolution moved by MLA Saitlawma during the fourth session of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly on September 27, 1973. History, once again, written quietly in assembly proceedings that most people never read.
Colonial Records Weigh In
The AICSU didn’t stop there. It drew from Major Anthony Gilchrist McCall’s 1949 book Lushai Chrysalis to show that Sailo migration and the consolidation of Lushai clans had reached Demagiri by the early 19th century. Former Assam Governor Sir Robert Reid’s account added another layer — Demagiri was geographically within the CHT but was placed under the South Lushai Hills through an administrative order in 1892. A Government of India proclamation dated April 1, 1898, then brought it under Assam’s administration. The boundary description from a June 30, 1879 notification of the Government of Bengal further established that Demagiri sat just within the CHT’s geographic limits at the time.
No Controversy, Says AICSU
“There is no controversy surrounding these two issues,” the organisation stated plainly, adding that the Government of Mizoram itself has accepted this historical position. The AICSU urged everyone engaged in these online debates to look at the available records before drawing conclusions.
It’s a reminder that history doesn’t need an algorithm to trend. Sometimes it just needs someone willing to open the right book.
