Agartala, Tripura celebrates 112th birth anniversary of last monarch
of Hill Tipperah Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman Manikya today with series of programs across the state. This is for the first time after statehood; Tripura government announced it as public holiday to pay tribute to the last ruler of the princely state.Amid Covid-19 pandemic, Tripura government organised the central program at Benuban Vihar (Buddhist monastery) here this morning where Chief Minister
Biplab Kumar Deb and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma paid tribute to the king and highlighted his contribution to today’s Tripura.Deb reminded, “Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya has been recognised as the main architect of modern Tripura who had ruled the state till May 1947 since 1923. Whatever major infrastructures built in the state and remains for today were the contribution of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya. But he was not given due honour by the previous government.”As soon as BJP-IPFT government came in power in March 2018, Tripura had celebrated Bir Bikram’s 110th and 111th birth anniversary in a befitting manner with
colorful events and multiple programs to re-introduced Maharaja before the young generation. Last year, the state government decided to mark his birthday as a state holiday like other famous personalities, Deb stated. “We thankfully recognised the contribution of Bir Bikram who built Ujjayanta palace, airport, planned for Agartala city, MBB College now turns into university, water palace of eastern India ? Neermahal and many other signatures of Tripura. The successive governments since attaining statehood have been adding on to the base, which was
built by the last king of Tripura,” he added.Continuing to Deb, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma happened to be the
niece of Bir Bikram Kishore stressed the need for imparting detailed education to children at higher classes about the royal history of Tripura and said, “As of nowbrief history of Tripura is being taught in lower classes but it needs to be given importance in the higher studies.”He mentioned that Tripura has a rich heritage and cultural history and kings of Tripura never allowed or supported British rulers to influence in the royal
administration. As a result, indigenous people of the state have been loyal to Maharaja’s decision and when Tripura acceded to Indian union nationalist feeling inherited by default among the citizens of Tripura, Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya, Bir Bikram’s grandfather had provided financial assistance to Tagore, Viswa Bharati University at Shantiniketan, West Bengal Technical Institute in West Bengal and to scientist Jagadish Chandra
Bose, he pointed out.”The royal ruler had introduced Bengali as an official language but it was not to appease Bengali population ? it was the decision of the then king to oppose the introduction of English. Bengali was the most convenient for the people living in Hill Tipperah to communicate. Moreover, the royal rulers had established schools even for women in the state during nineteenth century. Unfortunately, there was a deliberate attempt to erase that history from the mind of youngsters in past 25 years, which we want to rectify,” Dev Varma observed.He also stated that Modi led government on the request of BJP-IPFT government in Tripura last year renamed the Agartala airport after King Bikram. Bikram had built-in 1942, which played a crucial role in World War-II against British.