Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura celebrate Foundation Day: PM Modi wishes

Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya observe statehood day on January 21.

New Delhi, Jan 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted people of three northeast states - Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya - on their statehood day.

Both Tripura and Manipur have seen progress and growth in the last few years, he said, adding that people from Meghalaya have excelled in diverse fields.

Manipur has been progressing on several counts during the last few years, PM Modi said, wishing that its people's aspirations are fulfilled and the state keeps strengthening India's growth trajectory.

The last five years have been remarkable for Tripura's growth trajectory. From agriculture to industry, education to health, the state has seen great transformation, he said.

Tweeting on Meghalaya statehood day, Modi said, "This state is known for its vibrant culture, particularly music, art and passion towards sports. People from Meghalaya have excelled in diverse fields. I pray for Meghalaya's continuous progress in the years to come."

Tripura, an erstwhile princely State, merged with the Indian Union after independence on 15th October 1949 and became a Union Territory without a legislature with effect from
November 1, 1956 and a popular ministry was installed in Tripura on July 1, 1963. Tripura became a full-fledged State on 21st January 2, 1972 and is the third smallest state in the country, located in the North Eastern Region.

Tripura, the second most populous state in North-Eastern Region after Assam, is surrounded by the neighbouring country Bangladesh on its south, west and north. The length of its international border with Bangladesh is about 856 km (i.e. about 84 percent of its total border), while it has 53 km border with Assam and 109 km border with Mizoram. Forest area is over 60 per cent of its land and the net area cropped in the State is only 2.55 lakh ha. (24 per cent of geographical area). A large part of the land is up-land / tilla land and hilly, with altitudes varying from 15 to 940 meters above sea level, though majority of the population lives in the plains.

Meghalaya became an Autonomous State on 2nd April 1970 and a full-fledged State on 21st January 1972. Meghalaya was formed from two districts of Assam i.e the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills, on this date. It marked the triumph of peaceful democratic negotiations, mutual understanding and victory over violence and intrigue.

The State of Meghalaya is situated in the north east of India. It extends for about 300 kilometres in length and about 100 kilometres in breadth. Earlier, Meghalaya was a part of
Assam. Meghalaya Statehood Day is observed annually on 21st January. On 21st January, 1972, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

Manipur is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi). Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. It connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.