The three North Eastern states of Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya on Friday celebrated their 50th Foundation Day with various programmes and events.
“The North-eastern states have huge opportunities in developing tourism.
Statehood Day is always remembered by the people with pride and happiness, a joyous occasion to celebrate and walk alongside other states in taking the country forward.
The statehood day celebrations in Meghalaya involved a series of events, including sports meets.
The erstwhile princely states of Tripura and Manipur were merged into Indian Union in October 1949 and became full-fledged states on January 21, 1972.
Meghalaya was part of Assam before becoming a full-fledged state under the North Eastern Region (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971.
Merger of Manipur with India:
- Before 15th August 1947, peaceful negotiations had brought almost all states whose territories were contiguous to the new boundaries of India, into the Indian Union.
- The rulers of most of the states signed a document called the ‘Instrument of Accession’ which meant that their state agreed to become a part of the Union of India.
- A few days before Independence, the Maharaja of Manipur, Bodhachandra Singh, signed the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government on the assurance that the internal autonomy of Manipur would be maintained.
- Under the pressure of public opinion, the Maharaja held elections in Manipur in June 1948 and the state became a constitutional monarchy. Thus Manipur was the first part of India to hold an election based on universal adult franchise.
- In the Legislative Assembly of Manipur there were sharp differences over the question of merger of Manipur with India. The Government of India succeeded in pressuring the Maharaja into signing a Merger Agreement in September 1949, without consulting the popularly elected Legislative Assembly of Manipur.
Tripura Foundation Day: Date, History, Significance & All you need to know
Foundation Day of Tripura : Merger of Tripura with India
- Tripura was a princely state till the merger with the Indian union on 15th November, 1949.
- The last king Bir Bikram who was on the throne, immediately before India’s independence, died on 17th May, 1947.
- After his demise, his minor son Kirri Bikram Mannikya took the throne of Tripura kingdom, but he could not rule as he was minor.
- So his widow queen Kanchan Prabha took the charge of regency of Tripura and took over the administrative charges.
- She was instrumental for Merger of the Tripura kingdom in the Indian Union.
50th Foundation Day : Merger of Meghalaya into India
- In 1947 the rulers of the Garo and Khasi region acceded to the newly independent country of India.
- Meghalaya, a small hilly state located in the North Eastern Region of India, came into existence as an autonomous state within the state of Assam on 2 April 1970 comprising the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills districts.
Changes made in 1972:
- In 1972, the political map of Northeast India underwent a major change.
- The two Union Territories of Manipur and Tripura and the Sub-State of Meghalaya got statehood.
