The Biates in North-East India

The Biates mostly inhabits the Saipung Constituency of East Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya and Upper and Lower Kharthong Constituencies of Dima Hasao (old name: N.C Hills) district in Assam. They have been geographically and politically separated mainly between East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya and Dima Hasao in Assam. Their land and population is divided into two states despite the fact that they lived in a compact area. Their population of around twenty thousand is also equally divided between the two states in bordering areas. They are also scattered in Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Cachar District of Assam. Their population figure is however not available to the census reports of India in these States and in Cachar District. In Manipur they are scattered in the Hmar inhabited areas. The Biates are generally found in the north-eastern part of Mizoram. They are mainly seen in the Darlawn, Ratu and New Vervek villages of the Darlawn Community Development Block of Aizawl District (K. S. Singh. 1995. People of India Vol XXXIII. Calcutta: Anthropological Survey of India p 33). In Tripura they are mainly scattered in four villages and they are mainly concentrated in Darchoi village (Darnei, T. K. Search of Biate Origin Jowai: T. K. Darnei pp 48, 141-142). In Cachar District of Assam there is a Biate inhabited village by the name “Biate”. They are also scattered in some Hmar villages in Cachar District, Assam. Those who are scattered in Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Cachar District, Assam speak the Biate language mainly at home. They have to a great extent got assimilated with their fellow hill tribes. Even within Dima Hasao and East Jaintia Hills many have migrated to the towns because of jobs, other means of livelihood and education. They have even migrated to towns outside of these Districts within these states. The Biate educated and elite class belong to this diaspora group.