Tripura Merger Agreement
Encyclopedia
The State of Tripura
was one of the ancient princely state
s of India
. According to the Rajmala
(the Chronicles of Kings), Tripura was ruled continuously by as many as 184 Tripuri Kings with sovereign and independent status prior to its merger with the Indian Union
in 1949, after the death of the last ruling King, Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarma
. His successor, Kirit Bikram Debbarma, was thirteen years old at the time of the merger. King Bir Bikram had died in 1947, after which a Council of Regency was formed to run the administration under the presidentship of Queen Kanchanprabha Devi, the mother of Kirit Bikram Debbarma.
Within a few months after the unnatural demise of King Bir Bikram Kishore, Tripura faced a great crisis, with threats from internal as well as external forces. Queen Kanchanprabha Devi, as president of the Council of Regency, came under severe pressure to opt to join the Indian Union. On the advice of the Government of India, she dissolved the Council of Regency and became the sole Regent on 12 January 1948. More than a year later, on 9 September 1949, she signed the 'Tripura Merger Agreement', and with effect from 15 October 1949 Tripura became part of Indian Union. It was thereafter administered by the Chief Commissioner as a 'C' Category State.
WHEREAS in the best interests of the State of Tripura as well as the Dominion of India it is desirable to provide for the administration of the said State by or under the authority of the Dominion Government:—
It is hereby agreed as follows:—
and powers for and in relation to the governance
of the State and agrees to transfer the administration
of the State to the Dominion Government on the fifteenth day of October 1949 (herineafter referred to as the said day).
s Three lakh
s and thirty thousand only free of taxes. This amount is intended to cover all the expenses of the Ruler and his family, including expenses on account of his personal staff, maintenance of his residences, marriages and other ceremonies etc. and will neither be increased nor reduced for any reason whatsoever.
The said sum may be drawn by the Maharaja in four equal installments in advance at the beginning of each quarter from the State Treasury or at such other treasury as may be specified by the Government of India.
The Maharaja will furnish to the Dominion Government, before 10th October 1949, an inventory of all the immovable property
, securities and cash balances held by him as such private property.
If any dispute arises as to whether any item of property is the private property of the Maharaja or State property, it shall be referred to a judicial officer qualified to be appointed a High Court judge and the decision of that officer shall be final and binding on both parties.
In confirmation whereof Mr. Vapal Pangunni Menon, adviser to the Government of India in the Ministry of States has appended his signature on behalf and with the authority of the Governor-General of India and Her Highness Queen Kanchanprava Devi, Maharani Regent of Tripura, has appended her signature on behalf of His Highness Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarma, the minor Ruler of Tripura, his heirs and successors.
Dated New Delhi
,
The 9th September 1949.
, the then Minister of Home Affairs, gave the following message on the occasion of the Merger of Tripura on 15 October 1949.
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to 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...
was one of the ancient princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
s of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. According to the Rajmala
Rajmala
Rajmala is the ancient royal chronicle of the Kings of Tripura. It has been written in Bengali since the 14th century AD . Initially, but unrecorded it was in circulation in Kokborok language, the language of the Tripura kings before it was translated to Bengali in the 14th...
(the Chronicles of Kings), Tripura was ruled continuously by as many as 184 Tripuri Kings with sovereign and independent status prior to its merger with the Indian Union
Dominion of India
The Dominion of India, also known as the Union of India or the Indian Union , was a predecessor to modern-day India and an independent state that existed between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950...
in 1949, after the death of the last ruling King, Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarma
Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarma
Colonel His Highness Maharaja Manikya Sir Bir Bikram Kishore Deb Barman Bahadur GBE KCSI was the last ruling Maharaja of Tripura before it merged with India in 1949....
. His successor, Kirit Bikram Debbarma, was thirteen years old at the time of the merger. King Bir Bikram had died in 1947, after which a Council of Regency was formed to run the administration under the presidentship of Queen Kanchanprabha Devi, the mother of Kirit Bikram Debbarma.
Within a few months after the unnatural demise of King Bir Bikram Kishore, Tripura faced a great crisis, with threats from internal as well as external forces. Queen Kanchanprabha Devi, as president of the Council of Regency, came under severe pressure to opt to join the Indian Union. On the advice of the Government of India, she dissolved the Council of Regency and became the sole Regent on 12 January 1948. More than a year later, on 9 September 1949, she signed the 'Tripura Merger Agreement', and with effect from 15 October 1949 Tripura became part of Indian Union. It was thereafter administered by the Chief Commissioner as a 'C' Category State.
Tripura Merger Agreement
AGREEMENT made this ninth day of September 1949, between the Government-General of India and His Highness the Maharaja of Tripura.WHEREAS in the best interests of the State of Tripura as well as the Dominion of India it is desirable to provide for the administration of the said State by or under the authority of the Dominion Government:—
It is hereby agreed as follows:—
Article I
The Maharaja of Tripura cedes to the Dominion Government full and exclusive authority, jurisdictionJurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
and powers for and in relation to the governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
of the State and agrees to transfer the administration
Administration (government)
The term administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to jurisdiction.-United States:In United States usage, the term refers to the executive branch under a specific president , for example: the "Barack Obama administration." It can also mean an executive branch agency...
of the State to the Dominion Government on the fifteenth day of October 1949 (herineafter referred to as the said day).
Article II
The Maharaja shall with effect from the said day be entitled to receive from revenues of the State annually for his privy purse the sum of RupeeRupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
s Three lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
s and thirty thousand only free of taxes. This amount is intended to cover all the expenses of the Ruler and his family, including expenses on account of his personal staff, maintenance of his residences, marriages and other ceremonies etc. and will neither be increased nor reduced for any reason whatsoever.
The said sum may be drawn by the Maharaja in four equal installments in advance at the beginning of each quarter from the State Treasury or at such other treasury as may be specified by the Government of India.
Article III
The Maharaja shall be entitled to the full ownership, use and enjoyment of all private properties (as distinct from State properties) belonging to him on the date of this agreement.The Maharaja will furnish to the Dominion Government, before 10th October 1949, an inventory of all the immovable property
Immovable property
Immovable property is an immovable object, an item of property that cannot be moved without destroying or altering it - property that is fixed to the Earth, such as land or a house. In the United States it is also commercially and legally known as real estate and in Britain as property...
, securities and cash balances held by him as such private property.
If any dispute arises as to whether any item of property is the private property of the Maharaja or State property, it shall be referred to a judicial officer qualified to be appointed a High Court judge and the decision of that officer shall be final and binding on both parties.
Article IV
The Maharaja shall be entitled to all the personal rights, privileges, immunities and dignities enjoyed by him as the Ruler of Tripura, whether within or without the State, immediately before the 15th August, 1947.Article V
All the members of the Maharaja's family including Her Highness the Rajmata shall be entitled to all the personal privileges and titles enjoyed by them, whether within or without the territories of the State, immediately before the 15th day of August, 1947.Article VI
The Dominion Government guarantees the succession, according to law and custom, to the Gaddi of the State and to the Maharaja's personal rights, privileges, dignities and titles.Article VII
No enquiry shall be made by or under the authority of the Government of India and no proceedings shall lie in any Court of Tripura against His Highness the Maharaja or Her Highness the Mararani Regent whether in a personal capacity or otherwise in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by them under their authority during the period of Regency administration of the State.Article VIII
- The Government of India hereby guarantees either the continuance in service of the permanent members of the public services of Tripura on conditions which will be no less advantageous than those on which they were serving before the date on which the administration of Tripura is made over to the Government of India or the payment of reasonable compensation.
- The Government of India further guarantees the continuance of pensions and leaves salaries sanctioned by the Government of His Highness the Maharaja to members of the public services of the State who have retired or proceeded on leave preparatory to retirement before the date on which the Administration of Tripura is made over to the Government of India.
Article IX
Except with the previous sanction of the Government of India no proceedings civil or criminal shall be instituted against any person in respect of any act done or purporting to be done in the execution of his duties as a servant of the State before the day on which the administration is made over to the Government of India.In confirmation whereof Mr. Vapal Pangunni Menon, adviser to the Government of India in the Ministry of States has appended his signature on behalf and with the authority of the Governor-General of India and Her Highness Queen Kanchanprava Devi, Maharani Regent of Tripura, has appended her signature on behalf of His Highness Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarma, the minor Ruler of Tripura, his heirs and successors.
Dated New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
,
The 9th September 1949.
Message by the then Minister of Home Affairs
Mention may be made here that Sardar Vallabhbhai PatelSardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was an Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of India...
, the then Minister of Home Affairs, gave the following message on the occasion of the Merger of Tripura on 15 October 1949.