HT Correspondent
AGARTALA, Dec 30: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said that the state government has taken an initiative to re-present the history of Jackson Gate, which is associated with royal memories.
Saha said this after visiting the proposed construction site of Jackson Gate in Agartala on Tuesday.
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He said that Jackson Gate was built in the name of Sir Francis Stanley Jackson in 1927.
“He was the then Governor of the Bengal Province. In 1927, a contractor named Srinivas Saha constructed this Jackson Gate. It was built in imitation of the Charminar Gate in Hyderabad. Its main purpose was to welcome Sir Jackson on the occasion of the coronation of the last Maharaja of Tripura, Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur. This gate was built over the Akhaura Canal in Agartala. As usual, he was very happy to come and see it,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that people still talk about Jackson Gate, but questioned where it is now.
He said the gate was demolished in 1981 during the then Left Front period.
“This gate was most likely demolished to facilitate the entry of large vehicles. Many memories of the royal period were destroyed. We have taken the initiative to come forward and pay our respects. Therefore, we have decided to revive the history of Jackson Gate and the history of the royal family. The royal family ruled Tripura for many years and contributed a lot to the state,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said that by using the name of the Jana Shiksha Samiti, it is being claimed that the Maharajas did nothing for the development of education.
“Isn’t it strange? I was listening to the former Chief Minister’s speech. When they started the Jana Shiksha Samiti movement, the Maharaja formed another organization so that it could be suppressed. However, we have seen that a lot of work was done during the Maharajas’ time. The Bharatiya Janata Party government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has made arrangements to pay tribute to the Maharajas,” he said.
During the visit, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumdar, Municipal Corporation Central Zone Chairman Ratna Dutta, Secretary Kiran Gitte, Municipal Corporation Commissioner DK Chakma, and other senior officials.
