Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Tuesday said that Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur always worked for the welfare of his subjects and the development of the state. As the last king of the Manikya dynasty, he was a true dreamer. His contribution to the development of higher education infrastructure in the state was undeniable.

Dr Saha said this at a program organized at the Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala to mark the 117th birth anniversary of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur.

At the beginning of the program, organized by the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to the portrait of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya.

A documentary on the life and contributions of the Maharaja was also screened during the program.

Participating in the discussion, Dr Saha said that Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya passed away at the age of just 39. Despite his short life, he had made several plans for the welfare of the state and its people.

“Due to his farsighted vision, education, health, communication systems, markets, and banking services were introduced in the state, leading to unprecedented progress. His overall thinking was centered on the welfare of the state and its people. Using his experiences of traveling abroad, he undertook extensive initiatives for the state’s development. Although a follower of Hinduism, he was respectful of all religions. The current government has also embarked on the path of overall development by following the thoughts and ideals of the Maharaja,” Dr Saha said.

The Chief Minister further stated that the kings of Tripura were not shown due respect by previous governments.

“During the tenure of the present government, the only airport in the state has been named after Maharaja Bir Bikram. His birthday has been declared a public holiday on August 19. Therefore, it is not enough to simply garland his portrait and pay homage on his birthday—the present generation must also be made aware of his ideals and vision. During the partition, he generously provided food and shelter to countless people from East Bengal,” he said.

The event was attended by Cooperative Minister Shuklacharan Noatia, member of the royal family and MP Kriti Debbarma, Mayor and MLA of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumdar, President of Shantikali Ashram Padma Shri Chittaranjan Maharaj, eminent educationist Jagadish Gana Chowdhury, Vice Chairman of the State-level Cultural Advisory Committee Subrata Chakraborty, Secretary of the ICA Department Dr. P. K. Chakraborty, Director Bimbisar Bhattacharya, along with other public representatives and eminent personalities.

On this occasion, eminent educationist and cultural personality Sachin Koloi was conferred with this year’s Maharaja Bir Bikram Smriti Puraskar.