| Tripura ত্রিপুরা |
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| — State — | |||
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| Location of Tripura in India | |||
| Coordinates (Agartala): | |||
| Country | India | ||
| Established | 21 January 1972 | ||
| Capital | Agartala | ||
| Largest city | Agartala | ||
| Districts | 4 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | D Y Patil | ||
| • Chief Minister | Manik Sarkar (CPI(M)) | ||
| • Legislature | Unicameral (60 seats) | ||
| • Parliamentary constituency | 2 | ||
| • High Court | Gauhati High Court | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 10,491.69 km2 (4,050.9 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 26th | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • Total | 3,671,032 | ||
| • Rank | 21st | ||
| • Density | 349.9/km2 (906.2/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | IN-TR | ||
| HDI | 0.608 (medium) | ||
| HDI rank | 23rd (2005) | ||
| Literacy | 87.75% (4th) | ||
| Official languages | Bengali, Kokborok | ||
| Website | tripura.nic.in | ||
Tripura (Bengali: ত্রিপুরা Tripura) is a state in North-East India, with an area of 4,051 sq mi (10,490 km2).[1] It is the third smallest state of India, based on total area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are Bengali and Kokborok. It was formerly an independent Tripuri kingdom[2] and was merged with independent India on 15 October 1949 by the Tripura Merger Agreement. It was also known as "Hill Tippera" (anglicized version of Tipra) during the British Raj period[3][4] and has a history of over 2500 years and 186 kings.[5]
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Several theories exist pertaining to the origin of Tripura's name:
Tripura finds mentions in the Mahabharata, the Puranas and pillar inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka. Tripura has a long historic past, its unique tribal culture and a fascinating folklore.In the distant past Tripura was known as Kirat Desh.
Tripura was a princely state. The Tripuri Kings (bubagra) held the title of Manikya and ruled Tripura for 3000 years until its merger with the union of India. Udaipur, in South Tripura district, was the capital of the Kingdom. The capital was shifted to Old Agartala by King Krishna Manikya in the eighteenth century, and then to the present Agartala in the 19th Century. The 19th century marked the beginning of Tripura's modern era, when King Bir Chandra Manikya Bahadur Debbarma modeled his administration on the pattern of British India and enacted various reforms.
The Ganamukti Parishad movement led to the integration of the kingdom with India signed by the Regent Maharani on September 9, 1947 and the administration of the state was actually taken over by the Govt. of India on October 15, 1949 within Assam state. Tripura became a Union Territory without legislature with effect from November 1, 1956 and a popular ministry was installed in Tripura on July 1, 1963. On January 21, 1972 Tripura attained statehood. Tripura was heavily affected by the partition of India and the majority of the population now comprises Bengalis, many of whom came as refugees from East Pakistan after independence in 1947.
Armed conflict in Tripura has been a problem since the end of the 1970s as an aftermath of Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Mass migration of Bengalis from Bangladesh during this time has resulted in widespread insurgency and militancy in the state with groups such as the Tripura National Volunteers, the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force aiming to drive away the Bengali people. This is the Tripura Rebellion.
Tripura is a landlocked hilly state in northeastern India with altitudes varying from 15 to 940 m above sea level, though the majority of the population lives in the plains. Tripura has a tropical climate and receives rainfall during the monsoons. It is surrounded on the north, west, and south by Bangladesh and is accessible to the rest of India through the Karimganj district of Assam and Aizawl district of Mizoram in the east. The state extends between 22°56'N and 24°32'N and 90°09'E and 92°10'E. Its maximum stretch measures about 184 km (114 mi) from north to south and 113 km (70 mi) from east to west with an area of 10,491.69 km². Tripura is the third smallest state of the country.
Although landlocked, Tripura has many rivers including the Manu River which originates here.[6]
| Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices (1999–2000 Base)[7] figures in millions |
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| Year | Gross State Domestic Product |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 2,860 |
| 1985 | 5,240 |
| 1990 | 10,310 |
| 1995 | 22,960 |
| 2000 | 52,700 |
Tripura's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $2.1 billion in current prices. Agriculture and allied activities is the mainstay of the people of Tripura and provides employment to about 64% of the population. There is a preponderance of food crop cultivation over cash crop cultivation in Tripura. At present about 62% of the net sown area is under food crop cultivation. Rice is the principal crop, followed by oilseed, pulses, potato, and sugarcane. Tea and rubber are the important cash crops of the State. Tripura has been declared the Second Rubber Capital of India after Kerala by the Indian Rubber Board. Handicraft, particularly hand-woven cotton fabric, wood carvings, and bamboo products, are also important. The per capita income at current prices of the state stands at 10,931 and at constant prices 6,813 in the financial year 2000-2001.
High quality timber including sal, garjan, teak, and Gamar are found abundantly in the forests of Tripura. Tripura has poor mineral resources, with meagre deposits of kaolin, iron ore, limestone, coal but this state has considerable amount of natural gas. The industrial sector of the state continues to be highly underdeveloped.ONGC has its natural gas gathering station & GAIL has marketing terminals of Natural gas in north, west and south part of tripura. ONGC and Tripura state government going to establish 700MW power plant at Palatana in south tripura.
Tripura is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. The legislature, the Tripura Legislative Assembly, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, that are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The judiciary is composed of the Guwahati High Court (Agartala Bench) and a system of lower courts. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor. The Governor is the head of state appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 60 Members of the Legislative Assembly, or MLAs.[8] Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Tripura sends 2 representatives to the Lok Sabha and 1 representative to the Rajya Sabha. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. Tripura also has an autonomous tribal council, the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council which has it head-quarters in Khumulwng.
The main political parties are the Left Front and the Indian National Congress. Tripura is currently governed by Left Front, with Manik Sarkar as Chief Minister. Until 1977 the state was governed by the Indian National Congress. The left front governed from 1978 to 1988, and then returned in power in 1993. During 1988–1993 the state was governed by a coalition of the Congress and Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti. On the last elections (23 February 2008) the Left Front gained 49 out of 60 seats in the Assembly, 46 of which went to the CPI(M).[9]
For administrative purposes, the state has been divided into 4 districts, 17 subdivisions, 40 development blocks.
| Districts | Head-quarters | Population | Area (in km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhalai | Ambassa | 307,417 | 2312 |
| North Tripura | Kailashahar | 590,655 | 2470 |
| South Tripura | Udaipur | 762,565 | 2624 |
| West Tripura | Agartala | 1,530,531 | 3544 |
Major towns of the state are Agartala, Bishalgarh, Jogendranagar, Sonamura, Amarpur, Dharmanagar, Pratapgarh, Udaipur, Kailashahar, Teliamura, Indranagar, Khowai, Sabroom and Belonia. Badharghat, Jogendranagar, and Indranagar are now parts of the Agartala municipality.
Tripura is connected with the rest of the country through Assam by Meter gauge railway line extending to Lumding and Silchar. The main railways stations are in Agartala, Dharmanagar, Kumarghat. National Highway 44 connects it to Assam and the rest of India. Extension of railway line from Agartala to the southernmost town of Sabroom is in progress.
Agartala Airport, which has flights to Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, and Silchar, are the main airport of the state.
Most of the major Telecommunications companies of India are present in the state, with the state capital and regions of the state being served by Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, Reliance, Tata Indicom, Idea and BSNL landline, mobile, and broadband networks.
| Population Growth | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1951 | 639,000 |
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| 1961 | 1,142,000 | 78.7% | |
| 1971 | 1,556,000 | 36.3% | |
| 1981 | 2,053,000 | 31.9% | |
| 1991 | 2,757,000 | 34.3% | |
| 2001 | 3,199,203 | 16.0% | |
| Source:Census of India[10] | |||
Tripura is the second most populous state in North-East India, after Assam. According to the census of 2011, Tripura has a total population of 3,671,032 with 1,871,867 males and 1,799,165 females, the sex ratio of the state is 961 females per thousand males. The density of population is 350 persons per square kilometer. Tripura constitutes 0.3% of Indias total population.[11] In the 2001 census of India, Bengalis represent almost 70% of Tripura's population and the native tribal populations represent 30% of Tripura's population. The tribal population comprises several different tribes and ethnic groups with diverse languages and cultures with the largest tribal group being the Kokborok-speaking tribes of the Tripuri (16% of the state's population), the Jamatia, the Reang, and the Noatia tribal communities. There is some tension between these native tribal populations and Bengali settlers in tribal areas.
Tripura ranks 22nd in the human resource development index and 24th in the poverty index in India according to 1991 sources. The literacy rate of Tripura in 2011 was 87.75% which was higher than the national average of 74.04%.
Hinduism is the majority religion in the state, with 85.6% of the population following the religion.[12] Muslims make up 8.0% of the population, Christians 3.2%, and Buddhists 3.1%.[12]
| Community | Language | Language Family |
|---|---|---|
| Bengali | Bengali | Indo-European |
| Tipra/Tripuri | Kokborok | Sino-Tibetan |
| Bishnupriya Manipuri | Bishnupriya Manipuri | Indo-European |
| Manipuri | Meitei | Sino-Tibetan |
| Chakma | Changma Vaj | Indo-European |
| Kuki | Kuki | Sino-Tibetan |
| Mizo | Mizo | Sino-Tibetan |
| Magh/ Arakanese | Magh/ Arakanese | Tibeto-Burman |
This represents a major change in the religious composition of the state over time. In 1941 the population was 70% Hindu, 23% Muslim and 6% followers of tribal religions.[13] It should be noted that in 1951 Tripura had 649,930 inhabitants, and the number was even less in 1941 because the Hindu exodus had not begun from East Bengal, although that would not really become a factor in the state's population until the 1970s.
Today most of the Hindus in Tripura, both those who are Bengali and the Tripuri and numerous tribes, Important gods are Shiva and Tripureshwari (patron goddess of Tripura and an aspect of Shakti). Several fertility gods are also worshipped, such as Lam-Pra (the twin deities of sky and sea), Mailu-ma (goddess of corn, identified with Lakshmi), Khulu-ma (goddess of the cotton plant), and Burha-cha (god of healing).
Durga Puja, Navaratri, Kali Puja, and the worship of the Chaturdasha deities are important festivals. In the Ganga festival, Tripura's tribal peoples worship the Ganges River.[14]
Muslims of Tripura, as most other parts of India, are second largest religious group in the state.[12] Ethnically, they are mostly Bengali and follow the Sunni sect of Islam.
According to the census in 2001 there were 102,489 Christians in the state. Christians in the state are mostly from the native Tripuri people and other indigenous tribes.
The major denomination is the Baptist with the Tripura Baptist Christian Union (TBCU) having 80,000 members and around 500 churches across the state. It is followed by the Catholic Church with 25,000 followers in 13 parishes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Agartala.
Tripura has several diverse ethno-linguistic groups, which has given rise to a composite culture. The dominant cultures are Bengali, Tripuris, Jamatia, Reang, Noatia, Koloi, Murasing, Chakma, Halam, Garo, Kuki, Mizo, Mogh, Munda, Oraon, Santhal, and Uchoi.
Tripura has a rich cultural heritage of music, fine arts, handicrafts and dance. Music is an integral part of the tribal people of Tripura. Some of their indigenous instruments are the sarinda, chongpreng, and sumui (a kind of flute). Songs are sung during religious occasions, marriages, and other festivals. Agricultural festivals are integral to the culture of the state.
Dance is important to the tribal way of life. Dances are performed during Goria Puja. Hojagiri dance is performed by standing on a pitcher and is performed by the Reang clans. The Bizhu dance is performed by the Chakmas during the Bizhu festival (the last day of the month of Chaitra).Tripura produce some renowned artists like Sachin Deb Barman Rahul Deb Barman. Dhirendrakrishna Deb Barman was the ex principle of Kalabhawan, Santiniketan.Rabindranath Tagore himself was highly attach with Tripura royal family . In the field of fine arts, Shyamacharan Painter, Nalinikanta Majumder, Rajkumari Kanchanprabha,they renowned, and after established the govt college of art and craft Sumangal Sen, Bimal Kar, Bipulkanti saha, Chinmoy roy,Pashanto Sengupta,Sakti Halder, Patrha Pratim Ganguli, Sapwan Nandi all are initiated highly the atmosphere of art in Tripura. At present the Govt art college is one of the most beautiful art campus in North east India. Afterward, Dipika saha, Sanghamitra nandi, Kajal deb, Harekrishna Paul, Abhijit bhattacharjee, Bishwaranjan Debnath, Rajib Majumdar they started teaching in art college .Those Artists are staying out of the state among them, Radhabinod Sarma, Jayanta Bhattacharya(Tuichidrai), Naton Majumder, Pranab Chakaborty, Palto Barman, Mnimoy Deb Barman, Asha Deb Barman and others are also very promising and working with the time. young staff those are preparing their masters, they are working with different medium and promoting art .
The state is located in the bio-geographic zone of 9B-North-East Hills and possesses an extremely rich bio-diversity. The local flora and faunal components of Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese sub-regions. There are 379 species of trees, 320 shrubs, 581 herbs, 165 climbers, 16-climbing shrubs, 35 ferns, and 45 epiphytes. There are nearly 300 species of birds in the state.[15]
Wildlife sanctuaries of the state include Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary, Gumti Wildlife sanctuary, Roa Wildlife Sanctuary, and Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. National parks of the state include Clouded Leopard National Park, Sepahijola, and Rajbari National Park, Trishna. Gumti is also an Important Bird Area.[16]
In winter, thousands of migratory waterfowl throng Gumti and Rudrasagar lakes.[17]
Tripura schools are run by the state government or by private organizations, including religious institutions. Instruction is mainly in Bengali or English, though Kokborok and other tribal languages are also used. Secondary schools are affiliated with the CISCE, the CBSE, the NIOS or the Tripura Board of Secondary Education. Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, students typically enroll for 2 years in a junior college, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility. Notable higher education institutions of Tripura are Holy Cross College, MBB College, National Institute of Technology, Tripura Institute of Technology, Agartala Government Medical College, Tripura Medical College, Tripura Institute Of Paramedical Science, Tripura University, Indira Gandhi National Open University and ICFAI University all located in Agartala and outskirts of it.
Football and cricket are the most popular sports in the state. The state capital Agartala has its own club football championships every year where many local clubs compete in a league and knockout format.
Tripura participates as an Eastern state team in the Ranji Trophy, the Indian domestic Cricket competition. The state also is a regular participant of the Indian National Games and the North Eastern Games.
| Sylhet Division, Bangladesh | Assam | |||
| Chittagong Division, Bangladesh | Mizoram | |||
| Tripura | ||||
| Chittagong Division, Bangladesh |
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