President, PM greet Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya on Statehood Day; prays for progress

As Tripura, Meghalaya, and Tripura celebrate their 50th statehood day on Friday, January 21, extending his best wishes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted the people of Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya on their statehood days. Taking to Twitter, he hailed the states' vibrant contribution towards India's development and wrote, "Greetings to the people of Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura on their Statehood Days. These states are making vibrant contributions to India’s development. Praying for their constant progress."

PM Modi also prayed for their constant progress. Along with him, President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his greetings and further wished the citizens of the states a happy and prosperous future. He tweeted, "Greetings to the people of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura on Statehood Day. These states, full of natural riches, represent the vibrant culture and unique traditions of our northeast."

Apart from PM Modi, and President Kovind, many leaders and ministers including Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and many others. 

What is Statehood Day?

Statehood Day has been celebrated on an annual basis as Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura on January 21, 1972, became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Reorganization) Act of 1971. Earlier before the northeastern region was turned into seven sisters with the statehood of Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland, the North Eastern composition consisted of Assam plains from the old Assam Province, the hill districts, and the North Eastern Frontier Tracts (NEFT) of the North-Eastern borderland. 

Talking about its history, immediately after gaining independence, the princely states of Tripura and Manipur were blended with India in October 1949 and were then granted the status of Union Territories. Later in 1972, Tripura and Meghalaya were granted full statehood by the North East Reorganization Act of 1972. 

Meanwhile, the day which holds major significance for the states is celebrated with great fervour and with special events across the states. People talk about the states' contribution and history on this day. 

Image: ANI