Tripura, 11 Jan 2026: “Culture is our ornament. We must live with our culture and preserve it,” said Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha while addressing the traditional and prestigious ‘Chorei Khambar Festival’ of the Halam community at Paikho Ground in Narendranagar, Damchhara, North Tripura district yesterday.
The festival was organized by the Young Charei Association. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy, the North Eastern region has progressed significantly and an atmosphere of peace has returned. “We are all human beings, and there is no identity greater than this. We must build unity by taking everyone together. A new Tripura must be built with all communities and indigenous groups,” he said.
He added that the present government is giving due respect and recognition to all indigenous communities of Tripura. Their talents and contributions are being acknowledged through prestigious honors like the Padma Shri awards.
Highlighting the initiatives for tribal welfare, the Chief Minister said that both the Central and State governments are giving special importance to the development of indigenous communities. After the present government came to power, an honorarium for tribal community heads was introduced. Initially, it was Rs. 2,000 per month, which was later increased to Rs. 5,000 per month. Efforts have also been made to ensure that the benefits of all central government schemes reach every section of society.
He stated that there are around 700 indigenous communities in India and the Central Government has taken various development initiatives for each of them. A significant portion of the State Budget is being spent on the welfare and development of indigenous communities, and all work is being carried out with transparency. He also mentioned that due to the peaceful environment in Tripura, NITI Aayog has highly appreciated the state.
The Chief Minister emphasized that education leads people from darkness to light, and without the development of indigenous communities, Tripura cannot progress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly stressed this vision. He said that earlier, extremist activities were a major problem in the North Eastern states, but now peace has been restored and the region is moving forward on par with other states of the country.
He further said that the Prime Minister has called for building a “Developed India” by 2047, and Tripura has also taken steps to build a “Developed Tripura” within this timeframe.
Among those present at the event were Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy, Chairperson of North Tripura Zilla Parishad Aparna Nath, MLA Yadav Lal Debnath, social worker Purna Manik Charei, social worker Kajal Kumar Das, social worker Vivekananda Das, and others.
