Statehood Day Celebrations

Both Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh will be celebrating their Statehood Day, this month

On 20th of February, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh will be celebrating their Statehood Day. Both states attained statehood in 1987, quite a few years after India’s Independence. We take a look at both Northeastern states, and how things have changed between then and now.

Land of the Hill People

Mizoram is home to hilly terrain, with Aizawl as its capital. The name is derived from Mi (people), Zo (Belonging to the people of Mizoram or Lushai Hills) and Ram (land), and thus Mizoram implies ‘land of the hill people’. In the region, it is the southernmost state sharing borders with three Northeastern states, namely Tripura, Assam, and Manipur. The State also shares a 722 km international border with the neighboring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Like several other Northeastern states, Mizoram was previously a part of Assam, i.e. until 1972, when it was carved out as a Union Territory. It eventually became the 23rd State of India on 20th February 1987.

It is considered a strategically important place since it shares borders with Myanmar in the east and south, and Bangladesh in the west. The State offers a gateway for engaging in international trade with Southeast Asian countries. As a result of improving road, rail and air connectivity and the establishment of trade routes with neighboring countries, trade facilitation has improved over the last decade. The State also has the potential to harness 4,500 MW of hydropower. Not to forget, it has a large forest area and contributes 14 percent to the country’s bamboo production.

As Mizoram celebrates its 23rd Statehood Day, we look into the State’s socio-economic journey since independence. Zoram Industrial Development Corporation (ZIDCO) is responsible for the overall development of industrial infrastructure in the State. It has eight industrial estates, of which five are operational, and the remaining are yet to be developed.