The exquisite North East India comprises seven states aka “Seven Sisters”. These places make up for amazing tourist destinations. The seven sisters aka Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura take pride in their ecological and cultural heritage. Some of the very beautiful states of North East India celebrate the Foundation Day on January 21. Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya Foundation Day is observed today.
India’s North-Eastern states boast of its greenery including rare and exotic flora and fauna. The history has it that on 21 January, 1972, the states of Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya became full-fledged states.
Formation of Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya states
On 21 January, 1972, the states of Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Re-organisation) Act, 1971. The princely states of Tripura and Manipur were merged with India in October 1949.
At the time of independence, the regional composition of the North East consisted of the Assam plains of the old Assam Province, the hill districts and the North Easter Frontier Tracts (NEFT) of the North-Eastern borderland. Also, the princely states of Manipur and Tripura were merged in 1949 in India.
In 1949, Manipur and Tripura states were granted the status of Union Territories. Nagaland granted statehood on 1 December, 1963. According to the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution, within Assam, Meghalaya was made an autonomous state through the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act 1969.
Each of these states holds unique traits that make it one of the jewels of India. While Tripura, 10.491 km2 sized state is bordered by Bangladesh (East Bengal) to the north, south and west and states of Assam and Mizoram to the east, it consists of Hindu Bengali people. Whereas Manipur has its capital of Imphal and is also called by several names like Kangleipak or Sanaleibak.
Manipur
Manipur was formed on January 21, 1972. Manipur foundation day is celebrated on January 21 every year to mark the formation of the state. It is one of the seven sister states of India.
During British Raj, Manipur was one of the princely states. Between 1917 and 1939, the people of Manipur pressed for their rights. By the late 1930s, the Kingdom of Manipur negotiated with the British its preference to be part of India. These negotiations were interrupted due to World War II.
In 1949, Maharaja Budhachandra, the king of Manipur, signed a merger agreement joining India. On January 21, 1972, Manipur became a fully-fledged state.
The statehood day celebrations in Manipur involves a series of cultural events. However, this year celebrations will be low-key due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
About Tripura
Tripura covers around 10.491 km2. It is bordered by Bangladesh (East Bengal) to the north, south and west and states of Assam and Mizoram to the east. The Hindu Bengali people form the ethno-linguistic majority in Tripura. The scheduled tribes (indigenous communities) form about 30 percent of Tripura’s population. The tribes who speak Kokborok language are the major groups among 19 tribes.
The climate of Tripura is a tropical savannah climate and receives seasonal heavy rains from the southwest monsoon. Forests cover more than half of the area. It has the highest number of primate species. People of Tripura perform several forms of dance and celebrate religious occasions, weddings, and festivals. The Ujjayanta Palace situated in Agartala was the former royal abode of the Tripuri king.
Tripura was formed on January 21, 1972. Tripura statehood day is celebrated every year on January 21 to mark the formation of the state. Tripura is one of the seven sister states of India. Agartala is the capital of the northeastern state.
During the British Empire, Tripura was ruled by Manikya dynasty. The Tripuri Kingdom joined India after independence in 1949. The erstwhile princely state of Tripura was merged into Indian Union in October 1949 and became a fully-fledged state on January 21, 1972.
Tripura lies in a geographically disadvantageous location, as only one major highway (the National Highway 8) connects it with the rest of the country. Due to its geographical isolation, economic progress in the state is hindered. However, as per 2011 census, Tripur is one of the most literate states in the country with the literacy rate of 87.75 per cent.
The statehood day celebrations in Tripura involves a series of cultural events. However, this year celebrations will be muted due to Covid-19 pandemic.
About Meghalaya
Meghalaya, a small hilly state located in the northeastern region of India, was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from Assam, the Garo Hills, and the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills. It became a fully-fledged state under the North Eastern Region (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971.
Meghalaya means “the abode of clouds” in Sanskrit. Meghalaya covers an area of about 22,430 square kilometres.
It is the wettest region of the country and around 70 per cent of the state is covered with forests. The main languages spoken are Khasi, Garo, Pnar and English.
The statehood day celebrations in all these 3 states include cultural events. However, the foundation day celebrations in 2021 will be a low-key affair due to the pandemic.
