Vice-President Hamid Ansari inspects the guard of honour by Tripura State Rifles jawans in Agartala on Wednesday

Agartala, Sept. 25: Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari inaugurated the Tripura State Museum, Ujjayanta Palace, here around 12.30 this afternoon. He was accompanied by chief minister Manik Sarkar.

There had been protests against the state government’s move to omit the name of the palace from the official name of the museum but finally the government issued a notification tagging the words “Ujjayanta Palace” with the name of the museum.

Addressing a reception organised by the state government at the Agartala Town Hall around 1.30pm, Ansari laid stress on preservation of history, heritage and the cultural tradition of the country. “A man without knowledge of history is like a tree without roots. Those without cultural roots are always vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation. This must be remembered while giving the subject of history its due importance,” he said.

He described Tripura as a “very ancient state” whose “references are found in the Mahabharata” and edicts of emperor Ashoka.

The new museum will be a treasure house for researchers of history, culture and tradition of not only Tripura but also the Northeast, Ansari said.

“This knowledge of the past and the socio-economic and historical evolution is essential to find one’s niche in the emerging India and to chart out our future. The Tripura State Museum, Ujjayanta Palace, will help in a great and effective way in studying and preserving the past and building the future,” he said.

The Vice-President had arrived at Agartala airport around 11.45am today by a special flight from New Delhi. He was accorded a warm reception by chief minister Manik Sarkar, his cabinet colleagues, governor Debanand Konwar and other officials. Tripura State Rifles jawans formed a guard of honour at the airport. Ansari then went to the state guest house and from there to Ujjayanta Palace and Agartala Town Hall. He left Agartala late in the afternoon.