Retzol (Retzawl) is a village, situated in Dima Hasao (commonly known as N C Hills) District of Assam State, India. Haflong, the district headquarters as well as its nearest town, is 16 km away to the east by the existing state road, and Harangajao lies to the west. Retzawl is surrounded by villages like Jatinga, on the east; Doiheng, on the south; Jatinga Lampu on the west and Inchaikang on the north.
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Map of Retzol, Assam 788818
History
Retzawl village is believed to be established in the 1860s. Its name is the word in a native language of the Hmars, meaning a plain where rubber trees grow naturally.
Later many of the villagers decided to shift the village downwhill in order to develop paddy fields. They had abandoned their original habitation/village which has now come to be called "Retzawl Khuoruo" or "Khuo-Malui" (abandoned Retzawl Village or former village, respectively) and settled down in three places namely, in the local dialect, "Sekhnuoipha" (formation of the land resembles with hammer); "Phai" (plain) and "phailammuol" (hills along the way towards the plain). These places are situated at 3 to 4 km away from the original village in a triangular manner (i.e. Sekhnuoipha, in the east; Phailammuol, in the west and Phai, in the north) and the distance between them maybe approximately 2 km each. At about this time a modern agricultural system began to be introduced at Retzawl in the places mentioned above, and the villagers had to settle there to take advantage of a composite scheme of government grants promoting the new system. The official name of the village remained the same since all three fall within the municipal boundaries of Retzawl Village.
After some years, those settled in the Phai had shifted to Phailammuol and later on to Sekhnuoipha. "Sekhnuoipha" has now calls as "Upper Retzawl" and "Phailammuol" as "Lower Retzawl".
In 2003 there were incidents of racial unrest in the area around the village.
People
Most of the inhabitants are 'Thieks', a sub-clan of the Hmars, whose ancestors had founded the village and have been ruling based on hereditary kingship or ruler, in the form of "Khuolal" or "Hausa", meaning "Headman" or "Gaon Bura" at the head in the village administration, as the system has been in practice for many years. The Thiek language is widely spoken. Retzawl is one of the villages served by the North Cahar Hills Hmar Cultural Organization.
Infrastructure
There is a high school in the village known as Retzawl High School. It was established in 1996 under the president-ship of Late Thilhlun Thiek and Sri. Lalremsiem Thiek, as its founding Secretary cum Headmaster.
There are also three lower Primary Schools and two ME Schools, namely Retzawl L P School, and Sekhnuoipha L P School, (government aided) and Gilgal Standard English School, LP (as Private runs by ICI local Church) while Retzawl ME School as government aided and Covenant English School (ME) as private run by Reformed Presbyterian Church respectively.