Unity for progress: Manipur celebrates 55th Statehood Day; Governor Bhalla calls for peace and collective development

Imphal: Manipur celebrated its 55th Statehood Day on Wednesday with a grand state-level programme at the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles Parade Ground in Imphal, attended by governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.Manipur, along with Tripura and Meghalaya, attained statehood on Jan 21, 1972, under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.Extending greetings on the occasion, governor Bhalla urged the people of Manipur to uphold peace, unity, and democratic values while working collectively towards inclusive development.He also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message, in which the PM lauded the courage and resilience of the people of Manipur and assured the Centre’s steadfast support for strengthening the state’s development journey.Bhalla emphasised that statehood reflects India’s unity in diversity, bringing constitutional empowerment, representative institutions, and greater opportunities for self-governance and progress.