About Tiwa Autonomous Council

The Tiwa (Lalung) are one of the indigenous ethnic communities of Assam, concentrated in the central districts of Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai, Kamrup (Metro) and Dhemaji, with a rich cultural heritage embodied in traditions such as the ancient agrarian market of Jonbeel Mela, the three-day Tiwa cultural gathering of Panchthuni, and the hill Tiwa festival of Sagra Misawa. For decades, Tiwa social organisations campaigned peacefully for a statutory council to promote the socio-economic, educational and cultural advancement of the Tiwa people residing outside the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam.

In response to these long-standing aspirations, the State of Assam enacted the Lalung (Tiwa) Autonomous Council Act, 1995 (Assam Act No. XXV of 1995), which received the assent of the Governor of Assam on 27 October 1995. Under the Act and subsequent amendments - including the Tiwa Autonomous Council (Amendment) Act, 2024 - the Council was constituted with a General Council of elected members from Tiwa-inhabited constituencies, headed by a Chief Executive Member, and is today the apex statutory body for the welfare and development of the Tiwa community.