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Aizawl, Feb 20: Mizoram celebrated its 37th Statehood Day on Tuesday at Aizawl’s Vanapa Hall, where Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and Chief Minister Lalduhoma graced the function as the Guest of Honour.
During his speech, the Governor congratulated the people of Mizoram on Statehood Day, and briefly spoke about the events and proceedings that led to the creation of Mizoram as the 23rd state of the Union of India by the State of Mizoram Act 1986 with a special status under Article 371 G to formally function as a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987.
He also applauded the people of the state for achieving successful elections through the years and how dignified proceedings are followed in the House of its Legislative Assembly during sessions. The Governor stressed the importance of preserving peace and stability if the state is to progress further in all aspects and encouraged the people to strive towards progress even if faced with hardships.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma opened his address with a brief but detailed historical background on the creation of Mizoram as the 23rd state of the Union of India. He also elaborated on the creation, nature, and uniqueness of the special provisions of Article 371 G; a special provision related to Mizoram that is being inserted in the Constitution of India.
“It brings back fond memories when I think back of the passing of the Mizoram Bill in the Parliament,” Lalduhoma said.
“Mizoram, as the state, has missed out on the progress and developments of other Indian states for 25 years, since the attainment of Statehood only came after 5 consecutive years of the Five Year Plan,” he added.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister stressed the need for the state to walk faster and, work harder than others to catch up in the developmental programmes.
He concluded his speech by saying that the people of Mizoram should carefully work towards progress with constant prayers for guidance.
The celebration was chaired by Chief Secretary Dr. Reenu Sharma, with a speech from civil society leader and choir from the Art and Culture department.
It is worth mentioning that Mizoram covers an area of approximately 21,087 square kilometres, bordering the Indian states of Assam, Manipur and Tripura in the north and shares international boundaries with Myanmar in the east and Bangladesh in the West. According to the 2011 Census, the population of Mizoram is 1,091,014. However, various estimates project the current population of Mizoram at around 13 lakh. The state has one seat each in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It has a state legislative assembly size of 40 seats. Within Mizoram, there are 3 Autonomous District Councils. At present, Mizoram is divided into 11 districts with 24 Subdivisions and 28 RD blocks.
