Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Tuesday announced that the state government will rebuild Agartala’s historic Jackson Gate, a royal-era landmark that was demolished during the Left Front regime.
Originally constructed in 1927 to mark the visit of Bengal Governor Sir Francis Stanley Jackson for the coronation of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, the gateway once symbolised Tripura’s rich princely heritage.
Jackson visited Agartala at the invitation of the royal family to witness the coronation of Maharaja Bir Bikram, the grandfather of the present royal head, Pradyot Kishore Debbarman.
Maharaja Bir Bikram is widely credited with shaping modern Agartala through his architectural foresight. The Jackson Gate, however, was demolished during the tenure of former Chief Minister Nripen Chakraborty, reportedly to make way for road widening.
Critics have long argued that the Left movement in Tripura relied on the principles of establishing democracy in the state, and it left no stone unturned to erase the history of the royal era.
Speaking at a party joining event in Takarjala, Dr. Saha accused previous governments of erasing historical symbols and said he has instructed officials to reconstruct the gate in its original form.
CM Manik Saha said, “Previous governments worked overtime to destroy the history of the royal era. They demolished the Jackson Gate in Agartala city. I have directed officials to rebuild the Jackson Gate exactly as it looked back then.
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CM Saha dismissed allegations that the state government was withholding funds from the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, asserting that nearly 40 percent of the development budget is directed to tribal regions.
He further added that restoring the Jackson Gate would help reclaim an important chapter of Tripura’s heritage.
