Makum is a town and a town area committee in Tinsukia district in the Indian state of Assam. It should not be mistaken for Makum Pathar, (the place near Digboi where, crude oil was first struck in Asia). The name Makum is derived from the word Makam of Chinese origin literally means "meeting point". It is the meeting point of three premier towns of upper Assam namely Tinsukia Digboi and Doomdooma. The National Highway-37 and National Highway-38 meet at Makum. Makum railway station is the easternmost railway junction of the Indian Railways. The rail line became operational on 16 July 1883. It falls under the Dibrugarh (Lok Sabha constituency) and under the Digboi legislative assembly. Makum is basically an industrial town. There were a large number of plywood factories in Makum, but now, most of these have been closed down. There are also a large number of tea factories in Makum. Other industries include the flour industry, candle industry, spice grinding industry, etc. There is also a timber treating plant in Makum. There are a large number of small tea growers in and around the town who supply their produce to these factories. However most of the people of Makum make their livelihood from services of different kinds and small businesses. During the early 1920s there was a company named Bir Singh & Co where tea machines were manufactured and the CTC machine was invented. Makum once had a thriving community of Chinese, who settled down in the area in the 1830s. The Chinatown was closed in 1962, on the outbreak of the Sino-Indian War, as Assam was within close proximity to the border region. The Chinatown (now known as Chinapatty) is now inhabited by local population but a large part of the Chinese house structures are still the same as left by the Chinese. Author Rita Chowdhury wrote a book "Makam" ( ?????) on the ordeal of the Chinese community called Makam itself. The main character of "Makam" Kaushalya Dutta is from this locality (chinapatty). A Durga Puja which has been celebrated by the people of China patty since 1982 & it is too special because of without differentiation of community (e.g. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist & Christian) are all connected through this Shree Shree Durga Puja Committee. We should salute them & learn from them the actual meaning of Humanity.