PM congratulates Manipur people on Statehood Day
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21th Jan. On Manipur’s Statehood Day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his best wishes. The Prime Minister has yet to visit the state, which was the scene of ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meitei clans last year. Notably, isolated incidents of violence and resultant deaths are still reported in Manipur.
Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura celebrate their Statehood Day on January 21. This year marks the 52nd year since the three states gained sovereignty under the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act of 1971.
Manipur was a princely state, as was Tripura. Both states were integrated into India in October 1949, and Meghalaya became part of Assam after independence.
The states were established in 1972 after the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act of 1971 was passed. It resulted in a dramatic alteration in the boundaries of India’s Northeastern area, separating it into states and Union Territories (UTs) 24 years after independence.
“On Manipur’s Statehood Day, my best wishes to the people of the state. Manipur has made a strong contribution to India’s progress. We take pride in the culture and traditions of the state. I pray for the continued development of Manipur”, PM Narendra Modi tweeted.
On Manipur’s Statehood Day, my best wishes to the people of the state. Manipur has made a strong contribution to India’s progress. We take pride in the culture and traditions of the state. I pray for the continued development of Manipur.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2024
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1748908953600233493?s=20
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1748908559922794935?s=20
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Saturday that the government will end free movement of people at the India-Myanmar border and totally fence it so that it can be safeguarded, similar to the country’s boundary with Bangladesh.
The Free Movement Regime permits persons from both sides of the border to travel 16 kilometers into each other’s territory without a visa. Four Indian states, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram, share a 1,643-kilometre border with Myanmar.
Earlier, officials stated that the government intended to fence a 300-kilometer stretch of the border. Following the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, more than 31,000 people have sought sanctuary in Mizoram, the most of whom are from Chin state. Many people sought shelter in Manipur.
Following fierce gunfights with the People’s Defence Force (PDF) paramilitary group last year, dozens of Myanmar soldiers stationed near India’s international border escaped to Mizoram. They were later returned to their own country.
