Vishwamitra

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Vishwamitra
विश्वामित्र (Hindi)
Motto: लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनोभवंतु
"Let the world be happy"
Anthem: शांति हमारा लक्ष्य है
"National anthem of Vishwamitra"
Royal anthem: ओ! हमारे महान शासक
"Royal anthem of Vishwamitra"
Map of Vishwamitra
Map of Vishwamitra
Capital
and largest city
Rajagriha
Official languagesEnglish
Hindi[a]
Scheduled recognized languages[b]
Religion
No official state religion
Demonym(s)Vishwamitran
GovernmentFederal elective semi-constitutional executive monarchy
Varuna Sriraya
Bishnu Chetry
Klarissa Sriraya
LegislatureLok Sabha
Formation
• Children's Group
15 April 2007
• First constitution
21 May 2014
• Friends Society
27 January 2017
• Commonwealth
3 August 2019
• Monarchy
8 June 2020
4 August 2023
Area
• Total
0.40 km2 (0.15 sq mi)
• Water (%)
0
Population
• 2022 estimate
160
• 2022 census
156
CurrencyRupee (₹) (INR)
Time zoneIST
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Driving sideleft
Calling code+91

Vishwamitra (Hindi: विश्वामित्र‎) is a self-proclaimed sovereign state,[c] commonly known as a micronation by external observers. Located in South Asia, it is landlocked almost completely in India. Vishwamitra is a federal elective semi-constitutional monarchy, with the Rashtradhyaksh being the federal monarch. The capital and the largest city is Rajagriha, which is the national administrative capital of the nation. Vishwamitra has two official languages, English and Hindi, as well as thirty-one scheduled languages. The main administrative region of Vishwamitra is its six states and the region is termed as the National Territorial Region. The nation also has eight federal territories including the national capital territory of Rajagriha.

Vishwamitra was established as a republic back in 2007, and was known as the "Children's Group", however it began to function fully as a micronation since 2010. The first constitution was adopted in 2014 which was amended in 2015. It was renamed as "Friends Society" in 2017. In 2019, it was officially renamed as the "Commonwealth of Friends Society".[1] The nation was renamed again in 2020 to its current name following the dissolution of the republican government and the establishment of the monarchy.

Etymology

The name "Vishwamitra" is derived from two Hindi words; Vishwa (Hindi: विश्व‎) meaning world and Mitra (Hindi: मित्र‎) meaning friend. The literal translation of Vishwamitra means "Friend of the World" and hence considers the promotion of peace and friendship as one of its key elements. The name was proposed on 3 June 2020, by Bishnu Chetry, then Senior Minister.

The word Vishwamitra can also refer to Maharshi Vishvamitra, who is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. A near-divine being, he is also credited as the author of most of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including Gayatri Mantra. The Puranas mention that only 24 rishis since antiquity have understood the whole meaning of-and thus wielded the whole power of-Gayatri Mantra. Vishvamitra is supposed to be the first, and Yajnavalkya the last.

Official names

  • 15 April 2007 – 27 January 2017: Children's Group
  • 27 January 2017 – 13 May 2018: Republic of Friends Society
  • 13 May 2018 – 9 September 2018: People's Committee of Friends Society
  • 9 September 2018 – 3 August 2019: State of Friends Society
  • 3 August 2019 – 8 June 2020: Commonwealth of Friends Society
  • 8 June 2020 – 4 August 2023: State of Vishwamitra
  • 4 August 2023 – present: Vishwamitra

The microcode of Vishwamitra is VH.

History

Children's Group

Flag of the Children's Group
(2010-2017).

Vishwamitra was established back on 15 April 2007, as the "Children's Group" by three initial citizens of the nation, who are now termed as the Founders of the Nation - Arnisha Phatowali—who went on to become the nation's first Prime MinisterVaruna Sriraya—the nation's first President—and Tanishkaa Patranabish—the first Vice-President. The nation was officially established with a parliamentary republic with the Prime Minister being the executive leader of the nation. The office of the President was created as a figurehead, thus indicating it has very little or no powers. The initial land claims of the nation was the residence of Varuna Sriraya, which is now known as the Rashtra Niwas. On 30 December 2009, then Prime Minister Arnisha Phatowali resigned, thereby creating an internal crisis in the nation. On 1 January 2010, the nation elected its President Varuna Sriraya to be the second Prime Minister. He also assumed the duties of the Vice-President. Tanishkaa Patranabish was elected to be the next President and the Minister of Finance.

The first national flag was adopted in early 2010 and was designed by the three founders of the nation back in 2009, however the sudden resignation of Arnisha Phatowali created a delay in the adoption. The first general election was held in the nation in 2012 in which Varuna Sriraya was re-elected as the Prime Minister. In July, the same year, he was also elected as the President. It was the first time, that the same person held the two top positions in the nation - the President and the Prime Minister. It was also for the first time in 2012 that the Parliament was first established and used to hold meetings. However, with the rise of Klarissa Sriraya, differences between her and Tanishkaa Patranabish began to worsen. In May 2014, the first Constitution of the nation was adopted, and soon after the adoption of the constitution, then Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya expressed his intentions to step down, thereby ushering a new dawn in the politics of the nation. On 21 May 2014,[2] the general elections were held in which Klarissa Sriraya was declared elected to the office of the Prime Minister defeating Tanishkaa Patranabish. It was also for the first time that any official assumed office taking an oath in the name of the Constitution. Soon after the Parliament being constituted, Tanishkaa Patranabish was recognised as the Leader of the Opposition. On 15 July, the Prime Minister Klarissa Sriraya was elected to the office of the President[3] and continued to hold both offices simultaneously.

But in December, the same year, the nation termed into a series of internal turmoil, following the sudden resignation of Klarissa Sriraya as the nation's Prime Minister after serious differences with the Leader of the Opposition Tanishkaa Patranabish, after the latter had made serious allegations and accusations against her. Soon after the resignation, an emergency session of the Parliament[4] was convened by the Speaker Varuna Sriraya in which the members voted to elect him as the Acting Chairman of the Council of Ministers, in order to act as the Acting Prime Minister until a permanent successor is elected or appointed. Anoushkaa Patranabish, who was at that time serving as the Minister of Child Welfare became the senior-most minister and a deputy to the Acting Chairman of the Council. A few days later, the council proposed to choose Tanishkaa Patranabish as the next Prime Minister, however her appointment was annulled by Klarissa Sriraya, who was also serving as the President at that time. Finally, on 22 February, the parliament was dissolved and snap elections were declared. Tanishkaa Patranabish was elected the next Prime Minister of the nation, and sworn-in into office on the same day. Klarissa Sriraya was appointed as the Minister of Finance, whereas Varuna Sriraya was re-elected as the Speaker of the Parliament and the Minister of Education. However her tenure in office was cut short by the Constitution Amendment held on 6 December 2015.

Following the Constitution Amendment 2015, a clear difference of power was indicated in which the head and state and head of government were designated to be two different positions and were to be held by two different people. The Prime Minister continued to be the executive leader of the nation, with the President being a figurehead. Under the changed system of government, Varuna Sriraya was elected as the first President and Klarissa Sriraya[5] as the Prime Minister. A Supreme court was also established and Tanishkaa Patranabish became the first Chief Justice of the nation. In March 2016, the Presidential elections were held in which Tanishkaa Patranabish defeated sitting President Varuna Sriraya by a huge majority making him the first serving President to lose a re-election.

In April 2016, a multi-party system was established in the nation, with the Friends Society Secular Party becoming the first party to be established. On 11 April, general elections were held under the new political system. The Friends Society Secular Party (FSSP),[6] under the leadership of Varuna Sriraya[7] won the elections defeating Klarissa Sriraya led Friends Society Independent Party. It was for the first time since 2007, that the office of the Deputy Prime Minister was used for Anoushkaa Patranabish, who became the second person to occupy the office. On 18 September 2016, the nation became a federal republic[8] from the long unitary system, following the announcement of the establishment of two provinces - Beltola and North Guwahati and one union territory - Central Guwahati. On 2 October 2016, Deputy Prime Minister Anoushkaa Patranabish was elected as the President of the nation defeating then Lieutenant Governor of Central Guwahati Klarissa Sriraya in the presidential elections. Following the election of Anoushkaa Patranabish as the President, outgoing President Tanishkaa Patranabish was inducted into the cabinet as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. In early November, it was indicated that the general elections will be held before 31 December, following which on 27 November, Vice-President Arnab Sil tendered his resignation and decided that his party, the Friends Society Freedom Party quits the alliance and contests the upcoming general election independently. In a twist of events, on 13 December, the parliament decided to impeach the President Anoushkaa Patranabish and installed the Lieutenant Governor of Central Guwahati & the Administrator of Beltola, Klarissa Sriraya as the Acting President of the nation.

File:Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya unveiling the plaque during the launch of the official WhatsApp group on 1 January 2017.jpg
Launching of the official WhatsApp group by inaugurating a plaque.

On 30 December 2016, general elections were held in the nation in which the two principal parties - the Friends Society Secular Party and the Friends Society Independent Party formed a pre-poll coalition named the Friends Society United Alliance meanwhile Arnab Sil led Friends Society Freedom Party decided to contest the elections alone. Varuna Sriraya was declared to be the Leader of the alliance, and he led the two party-alliance to victory in the elections winning more than 90% of the total seats in the parliament. Soon after the results were declared, he was invited by the Acting President to form the government. He was appointed as the Prime Minister and Tanishkaa Patranabish was appointed as the deputy prime minister.

On 1 January 2017, on the onset of the new year, the official WhatsApp group [9] was launched by the Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya which is termed as one of the biggest achievement and one of the huge step towards development. It was also for the first time, any social media app was used to remain in touch with all citizens. The next day, the parliament in its first session passed the North Guwahati Reorganization Bill, 2017 in which the creation of a new state was proposed. Upon adoption of the bill, the state of Brihattar Guwahati was carved out of North Guwahati, hereby making it the largest state of the nation. Opposition leader Arnab Sil was appointed to be its first Governor.

However, on 27 January, a meeting of the executive council was held which was attended by the Acting President Klarissa Sriraya, Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya, Deputy Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish and Minister of Regional Affairs Anoushkaa Patranabish and the proposal to adopt a new name for the nation was passed unanimously. Soon after the meeting, in an announcement made by the Prime Minister, it was declared that the Children's Group shall with immediate effect be known as the Republic of Friends Society.

As Friends Society

Friends Society has been one of the most important eras in the history of the nation. It was known as the Republic of Friends Society from 27 January 2017 until 13 May 2018, until the State of Friends Society was proclaimed in September 2018. In August 2019, the Commonwealth of Friends Society was proclaimed and lasted till the abolition of the republic in June 2020.

Republic of Friends Society

National flag used between 27 January and 7 April 2017.

On 27 January 2017, the executive council decided to adopt a new name for the nation replacing Children's Group, and upon reaching a consensus, a new name was finally adopted. The office of the Prime Minister declared that the new name of the nation shall be the Republic of Friends Society. On the same day, the Acting President and the Acting Vice President were elected for a full fresh term into office. Klarissa Sriraya became the President of the nation for the second time, meanwhile Bishnu Chetry was elected to serve as the Vice President. Tanishkaa Patranabish became the new Chief Justice of the nation replacing Varuna Sriraya who had been serving since March 2016.

However, in a turn of events, on 17 February 2017, Tanishkaa Patranabish[10] was sacked as the Deputy Prime Minister of the nation and was removed from the union cabinet by the Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya, Abhiraj Kar became the new Deputy Prime Minister replacing Tanishkaa Patranabish. On 26 February, the union territory of Central Guwahati was granted full statehood and a permanent Governor was appointed. It was on 5 March 2017, that the Prime Minister and four other of his colleagues decided to quit the Friends Society Secular Party and join the junior partner in the coalition, Friends Society Independent Party, making it the largest party in the alliance. That was one of the turning events in the politics of the nation. On 11 April,[11][12] elections were held for the first time to elect Chief Ministers of the four states. It was on the same day that the President Klarissa Sriraya announced her resignation, the Vice President Bishnu Chetry became the Acting President until a permanent successor was elected.

Finally, on 12 April, then Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya also resigned announcing that he would run to become the next President. Soon after the announcement was made, he was unopposed elected as the President. In yet another turn of events on the same day, the Friends Society Independent Party (FSIP) declared its breaking the alliance with the Friends Society Secular Party (FSSP), and joined hands with the Friends Society Freedom Party (FSFP) to form the Friends Society Independent Alliance with Klarissa Sriraya being the leader of the alliance and Arnab Sil being its deputy leader. Klarissa Sriraya was elected as the Prime Minister[13] of the nation by the members of the Parliament on 12 April 2017, whereas FSFP Leader Arnab Sil became the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet. On 18 April, the President and Speaker of the Parliament Varuna Sriraya recognized FSSP Leader Tanishkaa Patranabish as the Leader of the Opposition. It was under the new government that on 7 May, the creation of a new state was proposed and Basistha became the fifth state of the nation, after being carved out of the state of Beltola.

The Government declared that general elections will be held on 5 July 2017 in order to elect a new Parliament. The ruling coalition decided to contest the election together, meanwhile the principal opposition party, Friends Society Secular Party (FSSP) decided to contest the elections alone. Soon after the elections being held, the results were declared in which the FSSP won 15 out of the 30 seats in the Parliament, meanwhile the alliance was able to win the rest 15 seats. As the results predicted a hung parliament, and as no single party was able to win a majority, the President Varuna Sriraya, despite being a figurehead decided to play a very important role in the process of government formation. He decided to invite leader of the single largest party to form the government, however his decision was opposed by the ruling coalition. Finally, he asked all the three leaders to form an unity government with the leader of the single largest party being the Prime Minister and the leaders of the constituent parties being Deputy Prime Ministers holding important portfolios. And after negotiation between the three leaders, it was announced that Tanishkaa Patranabish[14] shall be the Prime Minister, and Klarissa Sriraya and Arnab Sil will be the Deputy Prime Ministers. However on 25 December 2017, Varuna Sriraya stepped down as the President of the nation to become the Prime Minister[15] and was replaced by the Vice President Anoushkaa Patranabish as the President. He became the Prime Minister and continued with the unity government and appointed Tanishkaa Patranabish and Arnab Sil as Deputy Prime Ministers. It was for the first time that the newly-formed Friends Societal Congress (FSC) joined the government and its own Prime Minister.

National flag used from 27 December 2017 until 8 June 2020.

The government under Varuna Sriraya announced that general elections would be held on 21 March 2018 to elect members to the Parliament. A day before the general elections, leader of the Friends Society Freedom Party Arnab Sil announced the merger of his party with the Friends Societal Congress after meeting Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya. In the elections, the Friends Societal Congress secured a majority and formed the government along with Tanishkaa Patranabish led Friends Society Secular Party. Varuna Sriraya[16] was re-elected as the Prime Minister and appointed Tanishkaa Patranabish and Asmi Patranabis as Deputy Prime Ministers. However, in a serious turn of events, the President Anoushkaa Patranabish announced her resignation from the position on 13 May 2018.

People's Committee of Friends Society

Following the resignation of Anoushkaa Patranabish, as the head of state of the nation, the Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya in a self-declared constitutional coup announced to have taken over the absolute power of the nation on 14 May 2018, and that the Republic of Friends Society was dissolved. He announced that the People's Committee of Friends Society had been established immediately after the dissolution of the republic and declared himself the Supreme Leader of the nation with the style of His Majesty. He appointed Anoushkaa Patranabish as Deputy Supreme Leader, and entrusted her duties to act on his behalf during his absence. Tanishkaa Patranabish was appointed as President of the Council of Ministers and Chancellor of the Treasury. As the Supreme Leader was the executive head of state of the nation, the President of the Council of Ministers acted as a nominal hand-picked representative of him. The system of government during this period can be termed to as benevolent dictatorship. It was also under this administration that the armed forces were established and various ranks were also created. It was since then that Varuna Sriraya had been the Marshal of the Forces and Tanishkaa Patranabish had been the General of the Army.

However, on 9 September 2018, Supreme Court Chief Justice Klarissa Sriraya in a judgement declared the system of government unconstitutional and that it was established with abiding the articles and provisions of the Constitution, and that it should be dissolved immediately. The judgement also directed the Parliament to elect a new leader under a new republic to be established. Finally on 11 September, Varuna Sriraya announced that he would step down as the Supreme Leader and that the People's Committee of Friends Society shall be replaced by the State of Friends Society.

State of Friends Society

Following the dissolution of the People's Committee of Friends Society, the State of Friends Society was established. Soon after the establishment of the new republic, Anoushkaa Patranabish was sworn-in as the Acting Head of State of the nation until the Parliament elected a new permanent leader. The acting head of state, soon after assuming office summoned the Parliament to elect a new leader for the nation. The Friends Societal Congress-majority Parliament voted in favour of Varuna Sriraya to be elected as the new leader of the nation as the President.

Presidential standard used from 2018-2020.

Tanishkaa Patranabish was appointed to be the Speaker of the Parliament, a position which is generally held by the President. Soon after the President was inaugurated, he appointed Anoushkaa Patranabish as his Vice President. The Parliament, then, through a special ordinance announced the establishment of a presidential system of government in the nation, with the President being the executive head of state and head of government. It was under his administration that the first executive cabinet was formed on 12 October 2018[17][18] The first executive Presidential elections were held on 25 November 2018 in a direct contest between the serving President Varuna Sriraya and the Speaker of the Parliament Tanishkaa Patranabish, in which the serving President was re-elected into power with 70.5% [19] of the total votes polled. Soon after the elections, in a compromise between the President-elect and his rival candidate, it was decided to re-establish the office of the Prime Minister in order to distinguish some of the presidential duties and that Tanishkaa Patranabish shall be appointed as the Prime Minister on 7 January 2019. However, she was forced to resign following five ministers of her cabinet declared their dissidence and formed a new party. The President dissolved the parliament, and announced for snap polls in which the Friends Society Secular Party, announced its merger into the Friends Societal Congress, which was able to win 18 out of the 28 seats in the Parliament.[20] Soon after the results were declared, Tanishkaa Patranabish was appointed as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term and Klarissa Sriraya was recognised as the Leader of the Opposition. The President also constituted a special committee under a public ombudsman to present a detailed report on the new system of government that shall be established as a result of the compromise between him and the Prime Minister back in 2018. The report from the ombudsman suggested the establishment of a semi-presidential system of government in the nation, with the President and Prime Minister sharing equal and distinct powers. It also gave a detailed layout of the power sharing between the two top office-holders. The President shall be the head of state with significant amount of power, other than dismissal of the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister shall be the head of government with powers of leading the council of ministers, holding responsibilities of important ministries, and shall remain in office on the pleasure of the Parliament. Following the new system being established, the Prime Minister retained most of its powers, except for being the executive leader of the nation.

On 6 March 2019, two Special Administrative Territories[21][22] of the nation were established, namely the Special Administrative Territory (SAT) of Dadara and Kamrup & the Special Administrative Territory of Basistha. The President was named the Sovereign of the two Special Administrative Territories and an administrator was appointed for the administration of the territories. In an unprecedented move by the President, on 16 April, the House of Peers[23] was established creating a line of life and hereditary peers for top leaders of the nation. However, the new body was soon discontinued to be in use on 1 June 2019. On 2 June, the strength of the National Assembly [d] was increased from 28 seats to 32 seats, and by-polls[24] were to be held the next day to elect members to the four new seats of the Parliament. In a battle of prestige for the ruling party, it decided to contest against the opposition, Independent Party (New), and was able to register a victory over three of the four seats of the Parliament, thereby increasing its tally from 18 to 21.

On 15 June 2019, the Special Administrative Territory of Dadara Kamrup was granted full statehood by the Parliament, and it became the fifth state of the nation. On 14 July, a new position in the government was created under the title of Senior Ministers[25] which would be a cabinet position and rank above the Deputy Prime Minister. Serving Deputy Prime Ministers Bishnu Chetry and Arnab Sil were appointed to serve as the first Senior Ministers. For better understanding and display of the nation's semi-presidential system of government in both federal and regional level, on 20 July, the positions of the Chief Ministers were re-created under a Presidential decree.

Commonwealth of Friends Society

On 3 August 2019, the President Varuna Sriraya creating a special decree announced that the State of Friends Society shall be renamed as the Commonwealth of Friends Society[1] and that the nation shall be open for diplomacy, which ushered a new era in the history of the nation. It was also for the first time that the nation was considering to enter into diplomatic relations with other micronations. In this regard, the President decided to send letters to the Queen of Ruritania and the President of Dracul extending a hand of friendship and recognition. The first country to establish bilateral relations with the Commonwealth of Friends Society was the Metropolitan Electorate of Fidelis on 5 August 2019. On the very same day, the nation was accepted as a full member of the Organización de Micro Estados de Naciones Unidas,[26] which is the first intermicronational organization to be joined by the nation since the establishment of the diplomatic era. On 21 September, the Commonwealth became one of the very few nations to ban single used plastics[27]

National Emblem used between 2017 and 2020.

The first presidential elections under the semi-presidential system was held on 20 October in a direct contest between the serving President Varuna Sriraya and the Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish, in which Varuna Sriraya was re-elected to the office securing 78.1% of the total votes polled. On 25 October, the Special Administrative Territory of Basistha was made an union territory[28] of the nation, thereby culminating the existence of the SATs established in March. However, in October–November, instability in the regional governments took place, and President's rule were imposed in the states, a number of times in the period following the resignation of the regional governments and the direction of the Supreme Court to remove the Chief Ministers as Members of Parliament. Finally, on 22 November, the President's Rule was revoked from all the states and elected Chief Ministers were appointed to office.

The Parliament was declared prorogued[29] by the President using his discretionary powers on 4 December 2019 until March the next year and that an election was needed to elect a new Parliament before 18 March 2020. As the Parliament was prorogued, the Executive Council became the de facto body to perform the functions of the Parliament and the State Reorganization Bill, 2019 on Kamrup Pradesh was introduced on 25 December and that the state has become an union territory on 1 January 2020 was adopted and the Union Territory of Kamrupa was officially established on 1 January 2020.

On 12 January 2020, the President declared a period of internal emergency[30] in the nation suspending all diplomatic services with foreign nations and also called for a constitutional referendum along with the general elections in March 2020. It was on 14 January, that the Council of Presidential Advisers[31] was constituted, which comprised of the Vice President, Chief Justice and three other members. It was established in order to advise the President on various matters on the nation and also the Chairman of the Council of President of Advisers shall be the deputy to the President and shall act as Acting President during the absence of the President. On 2 February, it was decided that the states shall be termed as "Dominions"[32] and shall be led by a Governor-General appointed by the President. On 18 February, the Election Commission announced that the general elections will be held on 21 March[33] and that the sitting Prime Minister was mandated to resign almost fifteen days before the elections in order to ensure free and fair elections.

Soon after the announcement, Varuna Sriraya announced that he would relinquish all his duties as the Leader of the Friends Societal Congress and that the Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish as the President and Leader of the Friends Societal Congress and that the party would contest the elections under her leadership. On 29 February, the Friends Societal Congress was renamed as the National People's Congress[34] and that it shall be the sole political party in the nation. Tanishkaa Patranabish became the General Secretary of the National People's Congress. Finally on 3 March, following the requirements set forth by the Election Commission, Tanishkaa Patranabish tendered her resignation[35][36] as the Prime Minister and that of her council of ministers. Anoushkaa Patranabish became the next Prime Minister[37] of the nation and remained in office on a caretaker basis and ensured the free and fair elections in the nation. It was under the caretaker government that the decision to dissolve the regional governments was taken and an unitary republic system was adopted[38] replacing the federal republic. On 21 March 2020, the general elections took place in which all the 32 elected members of parliament casted their votes to elect a new leader. Tanishkaa Patranabish and Klarissa Sriraya were nominated as the two candidates, out of which Tanishkaa Patranabish, who secured 17 MP preference vote and was elected[39][40] as the next Prime Minister. Outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Anoushkaa Patranabish and Bishnu Chetry were inducted as Deputy Prime Ministers in the council of ministers.

However, soon after the elections were held and the cabinet was formed, differences between the President Varuna Sriraya and the Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish started to begin. On 12 April, Tanishkaa Patranabish[41] was removed as the General Secretary of the National People's Congress and Varuna Sriraya assumed that position. The next day, in an address to the nation, the President Varuna Sriraya who was also serving as the National Leader since 2010, announced that he would relinquish[42] all functions and duties as the Head of State on 30 April 2020, which caused shock amongst the people of the nation. A section of the leaders called for him to take back his decision, but he refused to reconsider the decision. Finally, on 30 April 2020, the Kaihatsu Era (meaning, era of development) came to an end and Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish became the constitutional successor to the President in an acting capacity.

On 1 May 2020, a new era was proclaimed in the history of the nation, the era of peace to be known as the Heiwa Era. Tanishkaa Patranabish took over as the President[43] of the nation in an acting capacity and was finally elected by the Council of State as the President and Third National Leader in a virtual meeting held on 3 May. Anoushkaa Patranabish was designated as the Deputy President. It was also decided and adopted by the Council of State that the office of the Prime Minister shall be abolished and that a presidential system of government shall be established in the nation with the President being both the head of state and head of government. On 10 May, the executive cabinet was formed with Bishnu Chetry becoming the Senior Minister. On 14 May, the Council of State was reformed and a permanent position for the Chairman of the Council of State was created with the same rank and privileges of a head of state in international correspondance. Varuna Sriraya who had been serving as the Chairman of the Council of State since 2018 was permanently appointed as the Chairman to an office that was held not held simultaneously by the President for the first time. On 25 May 2020, the Council of State approved the Regency Act, 2020,[44] in which the Chairman of the Council of State should be appointed as the Regent of the nation in case of the absence of the President.

It was on 2 June 2020, that the Chairman of the Council of State submitted a report to the President and the government proposing the establishment of a federal elective absolute monarchy in the nation hereby abolishing the long republican system of government. An emergency meeting of the Council was convened by the Chairman in which the proposal was adopted, however some changes were made on the names and titles that were to be used.

Finally, on 7 June 2020, the Council of State approved that the name of the nation shall be changed from the Commonwealth of Friends Society to the State of Vishwamitra.

As Vishwamitra

On 3 June 2020, the Council of State under the chairmanship of former President Varuna Sriraya approved the establishment of a monarchy[45] in the nation and also adopting an unique system for the government to function. Following the Council of State having approved, the adoption of a federal elective absolute monarchy in the nation, it was decided that the federal monarch shall be titled as Rashtradhyaksh which would mean, The Supreme Lord of the Nation or simply King or Queen Regnant. It was also the Council of State adopted a de facto rotational monarchy in which the position of the head of state shall rotate among the six constituent rulers from the six provinces of the nation and that the provincial rulers shall be known as Rajpramukhs. It was also decided that the office of the Prime Minister shall be re-established and that the prime minister shall be the head of government of the nation and shall lead the cabinet and look after the business of the government. The prime minister shall also serve as an advisor to the monarch. Finally, on 7 June 2020, the Council of State announced that the outgoing President Tanishkaa Patranabish shall become the first Rashtradhyaksh of the nation and the Rajpramukh of Beltola. Constituent monarchs to the five other provinces were also appointed by the Council of State.[46]

On 8 June, the nation entered into a new dawn following the beginning of the new system of government. The Rashtradhyaksh announced that the senior-most Rajpramukh, Varuna Sriraya shall be appointed as the Upa-Rashtradhyaksh and shall be assigned the duties to represent the Rashtradhyaksh on all international platforms and also be given the immunity to sign treaties with all fellow nations. The Rashtradhyaksh, following which, appointed Princess Anoushkaa as the Prime Minister and requested her to form the council of ministers. Finally on 9 June, the council of ministers was set up in which Prince Abhiraj was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister. On 1 July, the Rashtradhyaksh, issuing a royal decree, directed the constitution of the Privy Council of Vishwamitra,[47] which shall serve as the principal advisory body to the Rashtradhyaksh. It was on 23 July, that the government introduced the Cities and Towns Reorganization Bill creating capital cities in the nation alongside the National Capital Region.

Royal Standard of Vishwamitra.

However, on 29 July, in an unprecedented move, the Rashtradhyaksh Tanishkaa Patranabish announced her abdication after ruling the nation for just 51 days. Following the sudden abdication,[48] the Conference of Rulers was summoned under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Bishnu Chetry, the Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal and it was decided that the Upa-Rashtradhyaksh and next in line of the rotational succession shall be elected as the Rashtradhyaksh. Eventually Varuna Sriraya was elected as the Rashtradhyaksh of the nation and his reign began on the 1 August 2020. It was decided that a diarchy[49] be established in the nation, with the Rashtradhyaksh being the absolute monarch and the Sah Rashtradhyaksh being a ceremonial ruler, accordingly, Tanishkaa Patranabish was appointed as the Sah Rashtradhyaksh and she assumed charge on 1 August, along with the Rashtradhyaksh. On 20 August, the Deputy Prime Minister Prince Abhiraj[50] was designated as the Acting Prime Minister of the nation, following the leave of the Prime Minister Princess Anoushkaa. On 23 August, in a solemn ceremony, Varuna Sriraya was installed as the Rashtradhyaksh of the nation.[51]

Under the new system of government, the State has effectively achieved a broader aspect in terms of diplomacy and other fields. It was on 22 August, that the nation became a full member of the Asia-Pacific Alliance. The nation became a founding member and pioneer of the Association of South Asian Micronations on 25 August. On 1 September, the nation was incorporated as a provisional member in the Grand Unified Micronational and was eventually promoted as a full member of the organization on 18 September.

However, the office of the Sah-Rashtradhyaksh was abolished as the diarchy ceased to exist since 31 December 2020, and with the outset of the New Year, the Rashtradhyaksh became the sole ruler of the nation and the position of the Deputy Rashtradhyaksh was re-created to fill in, as the deputy head of state. Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu was appointed to serve as the caretaker prime minister of the nation on 28 January 2021, a month prior to the general elections.

The first general elections were conducted in Vishwamitra after the transition to a monarchy in order to elect members of the 13th Lok Sabha on 27 and 28 February 2021, which resulted in the National People's Congress winning eleven seats, the Royalist Party of Vishwamitra winning five and two seats being elected by independents. The election to the National Capital Constituency and Chandril parliamentary constituencies were cancelled.

On 1 March 2021,[52] Casper Naverović was appointed as the acting Prime Minister of Vishwamitra following the resignation of Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu as the caretaker Prime Minister. The nation ceased to be an absolute monarchy following the adoption of its constitution on 1 August 2021, and with it the constitutional monarchy was established.

A month later, in September, the Prime Minister Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu resigned from his position after being appointed as the Rajyapal of Basistha and was replaced by his deputy Farhaz Hazarika on 11 September 2021. Hazarika served as prime minister until stepping down a month later on 21 October under direction of the election commission ahead of the November 2021 general election. Phillip Joseph Pillin headed the caretaker government during the interval. Hazarika-led ruling National People's Congress returned to power winning 17 of the 20 seats of the parliament, and returned to power and formed the government for the second time. A month later, the privy council was abolished paving way for a bicameral legislature to the established with the House of Councillors becoming the upper house of the parliament, while the House of the People remaining the popular chamber and thus the lower house. Several ministers were elected to the councillors, which also witnessed the rise of the Social Democratic Party which also briefly served the principal opposition party. By the end of the year, Vishwamitra also withdrew from the Cupertino Alliance.

However, the arrangements soon plunged into inactivity by March 2022. By this time, former prime minister Snagoveanu who was appointed as the Rajyapal of Basistha offered his resignation to return to politics. After deliberations by the conference of rulers, it was decided to accept his resignation, and re-establish monarchy in the state of Basistha. The throne was offered to Princess Anoushkaa of Beltola and thus, she was installed as the Rajpramukh of Basistha on 18 March 2022. Meanwhile, at the federal level, the Rashtradhyaksh assumed executive charge over the administration in consultation with several officials appointed by him. Bringing stability and activity within months, situation returned to normalcy by May that year and Hazarika formed his third ministry, and a non-partisan democracy was established. The House of Councillors was abolished, and Vishwamitra returned to become a unicameral state. The following months saw the entry and rise of Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia in the politics, and subsequent fall of senior politician Rory Leonard. General elections were held in October that year with a contest between the Congress and Leonard-led National Party. The Congress was able to retain power with the National Party emerging as opposition. Hazarika was re-appointed as prime minister, and within a month, Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia rose to become the deputy prime minister. The period witnessed Vishwamitra's significant rise in diplomatic outreach following its joining the Conference of Santiago and hosting the first heads of state meeting with the conference in July that year. However, the prosperous ties with the conference were soon severed by November that year following severing of ties with several member states over comments made by a former senior politician. Vishwamitra remained politically active in the years to follow, with the Congress winning majority of seats in the 2023 election and Hazarika returning to power for the fourth consecutive term.

However, by January 2024, things changed drastically following the sudden announcement of abdication by Rashtradhyaksh Varuna Sriraya. In the months to follow, things became slow and the nation plunged into a state of dormancy. In March, prime minister Hazarika transferred power to his deputy Klarissa Sriraya who formed her cabinet. The parliament was dissolved in June with no immediate election announced. The abdication of the Rashtradhyaksh was accepted by the conference of rulers, but he was re-elected for a two-year term by the conference. Vishwamitra also withdrew from the Grand Unified Micronational during this interval and later largely involved itself in engaging with regional nations, and forming the South Asian Association of Micronational Cooperation in October 2024.

Government and politics

Executive

Monarchy

Great Seal of the rulers of Vishwamitra.

Vishwamitra is described as a federal elective constitutional monarchy, highly influenced to the system of rotational elective monarchy in Malaysia. The position of the monarch, titled as Rashtradhyaksh (translation: Supreme Head of the Nation) is the highest within the nation and they discharges their powers and functions as a constitutional monarch having full immunity over various executive and diplomatic duties. The position of the monarch is elective rather hereditary unlike other nations, who is chosen for a five year term by the influential Conference of Rulers, comprising of the six monarchs of the states of Vishwamitra. The monarch is the executive head of state and is also considered as the de facto co-head of government especially considering their role in the government and the matters related to the cabinet. The current Rashtradhyaksh is the Maharaja of Purvanchal, Varuna Sriraya who took over the throne on 1 August 2020 following the sudden abdication of Tanishkaa Patranabish, the first monarch on 29 July 2020 without citing any reasons.[53] The Rashtradhyaksh is often assisted by the Uparashtradhyaksh, who serves as the deputy head of state and is a de facto position occupied by the senior-most state monarch after the Rashtradhyaksh. According to Article 24 of the Constitution of Vishwamitra, the Uparashtradhyaksh shall exercise the functions and have the privileges of the Rashtradhyaksh during any vacancy in the office of the Rashtradhyaksh and during the period during which the Rashtradhyaksh is unable to exercise the functions of their office owing to illness, absence from the union or for any other cause.

Logo of the Privy Council of Vishwamitra, the principal advisory body to the Monarch.

The Conference of Rulers and the Privy Council are one of the top most institutions in the nation apart from the Lok Sabha, which is the sole law making body in the nation. The system of government is highly influential by the conference of rulers, which is a council comprising the monarchs of the six states of Vishwamitra. The constitution describes the existence of such an institution. The main purpose of this institution is to conduct and oversee the election to the position of the federal monarch of Vishwamitra, also referred to as the Rashtradhyaksh, which takes place every five years of until the office falls vacant due to the death or abdication of the reigning monarch.

Whereas, on the other hand, the Privy Council of Vishwamitra or His Illustrious and Royal Majesty's The Honourable Privy Council[47] is a formal body of advisers to the Rashtradhyaksh and its membership comprises of nominated individuals by the Rashtradhyaksh who are deemed notable by the appointer and its main function is to provide a non-binding advice to the monarch in their exercising of powers and duties of the Throne or on any matter which may be brought by the monarch to their attention. The members of the council are referred to as Privy Councilors and there shall not be more than eighteen privy councilors including the President.

Cabinet

The Prime Minister is the head of government who is appointed by the Rashtradhyaksh and shall remain in office for a tenure concurrent with the parliament. The prime minister shall be the head of the council of ministers and the Rashtradhyaksh shall appoint a council of ministers at the advice of the prime minister as specified under Article 34 of the constitution. Clause 6 of Article 34 specifies that the cabinet shall be composed of the prime minister, deputy prime minister (s), senior minister and cabinet ministers which shall not exceed more than eight at a time and an supernumery ministers of state who shall be junior ministers in the cabinet. The current prime minister is Farhaz Hazarika who has been office since 21 November 2021[54] following the November 2021 general election and was re-appointed on 12 May 2022[55] and re-elected to office during the 2022 general election.

Ministries

The current ministries of the government of Vishwamitra include:

  • Ministry of Cabinet Affairs: responsible for coordinating with the Prime Minister's Office and the cabinet over policies.
  • Ministry of Communications and Technology: responsible for overseeing the development and regulation of communication infrastructure and technological advancements, innovation, and fostering digital connectivity.
  • Ministry of Culture: responsible for promotion, protection and dissemination of culture, historical heritage, art, books, reading and literary creation, promotion of language and Indian culture, and also for organizing various culture related activities.
  • Ministry of Defence: responsible for safeguarding national sovereignty by ensuring the protection of citizens, maintaining national defense, coordinating efforts to address internal and external security threats, and maintaining the army.
  • Ministry of Education and Youth Development: responsible for direction, formulation and implementation of policies related to education, literacy, skill development, literature, science, technology, and youth affairs.
  • Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources: responsible for maintaining all matters related to the environment, wildlife and safeguarding natural resources.
  • Ministry of External Affairs: responsible for overseeing the Vishwamitra's international affairs and the foreign matters.
  • Ministry of Federal Territories: responsible for governance, development, and administration of the federal territories, ensuring equitable distribution of resources, fostering regional growth, and maintaining effective local governance within these areas.
  • Ministry of Finance: responsible for general financial policy and for general management in the field of finance, and for managing the Vishwamitran economy.
  • Ministry of Home Affairs: responsible for maintaining internal matters and internal security.
  • Ministry of Gender and Equality: responsible for promoting gender equality and empowerment, and safeguarding the rights and interests of the LGBTQ community.
  • Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: responsible for informing and publicizing the plan, programmes and policies, activities and achievement of the government, and for responsible for e-communications, digital transformation, broadcasting and film production in the nation.
  • Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs: responsible for facilitating collaboration and coordination between the federal government and the states, and ensuring alignment in policy implementation, fostering effective communication, and addressing issues that require intergovernmental cooperation for the nation's unified progress.
  • Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights: responsible for management of legal affairs, legislative activities, and administration of justice, and promotion and protection of human rights.
  • Ministry of Local Government and Community Development: responsible for matters related to local government administration, city planning, community development and empowerment.
  • Ministry of Minority Affairs: responsible for regulating and implementing developmental programs for the religious and linguistic minority communities.
  • Ministry of National Unity: responsible for promoting linguistic diversity and multicultural affairs, and also to handle migration and integration-related affairs.
  • Ministry of Planning, Development and Coordination: responsible for overseeing national planning, coordinating development initiatives, and ensuring policy implementation for achieving sustainable growth and balanced regional development.
  • Ministry of Public Administration: responsible for overseeing administrative reforms and regulation of the civil services.
  • Ministry of Religious Affairs: responsible for regulation of religious affairs and promoting interfaith dialogue.
  • Ministry of Royal Court Affairs: responsible for maintaining communication between the government and the Conference of Rulers.
  • Ministry of Sanitation and Public Health: responsible for safeguarding health and well-being of citizens, ensuring proper sanitation, and quality healthcare services, and enhancing overall community health.
  • Ministry of Social Development: responsible for enhancing well-being of citizens by implementing programs that support vulnerable populations, promote social welfare, and foster economic empowerment, ensuring that all individuals have access to the resources and opportunities needed to lead dignified and fulfilling lives.
  • Ministry of Sports: responsible for maintaining and administering sports activities.

Current cabinet

The current cabinet or council of ministers was appointed and subsequently sworn-in to office on 29 March 2024 and is headed by prime minister Klarissa Sriraya. The council also consists of two deputy prime ministers, two senior ministers, seven ministers of cabinet rank, four ministers of state with independent charge, and six ministers of state.

Legislature

Logo of the Lok Sabha

The legislative power in Vishwamitra is vested upon the Lok Sabha (lit., House of the People), which is an unicameral legislature known as the Lok Sabha comprising of 20 seats to which members are elected through the first-past-the-post system every year. The members are formally known as the the "Members of Parliament" (MP) and each MP represents a parliamentary constituency from where they are elected. Article 36 of the constitution mentions that the legislative authority of the union shall be consisted of the Rashtradhyaksh and the House of the People. Article 37 specifies the composition of the parliament stating that the parliament shall not have more than twenty members. The parliament shall be formally summoned by the Rashtradhyaksh following the annual general election and he may address the parliament. The power of the parliament is to make laws which shall be exercised by bills passed by the members following the assent of the Rashtradhyaksh.

The current tenure of the legislature is the 15th Lok Sabha which was constituted in November 2022 by the monarch following the 2021 general election held in two phases, on 27 and 28 February in single largest party having won eleven of the nineteen constituencies to which the election was held, whereas the chief opposition party, the Royalist Party of Vishwamitra won five seats and two independent legislators were also elected. Furthermore, due to four vacancies being created, a by-election was held to elect members from the four constituencies in the end of March and all the seats were unopposed won by the candidates from the ruling party, the National People's Congress following which the party won the simple majority in the house.

The current parliament is the 15th Lok Sabha which was formed on 10 November 2022 following the 2022 general election held in three phases between October and November 2022 in order to elect the members of the parliament. The National People's Congress emerged as the majority party winning 13 of the 20 seats, whereas the Vishwamitran National Party emerged as the principal opposition party winning 5 seats while two seats were won by independent parliamentarians who later extended their unconditional support to the National People's Congress. The NPC continued to command the majority of the house as has been continuously since 2019.

The presiding officer of the parliament is the Speaker who is elected by the members of parliament and usually based on a consensus. The current speaker is Tyler Mullins, a former cabinet minister who became the speaker on 17 February 2022 and was re-elected in November 2022. The speaker is occasionally assisted by a deputy speaker who carries out the functions of the speaker whenever needed. The current deputy speaker is Josh Ford of the opposition Vishwamitran National Party. After every general election or when the offices of the speaker and deputy speaker become vacant at the same time, a very senior member of the house who is not a member of the cabinet is chosen to serve as the protem speaker of the house to carry out of the duties of the speaker until a permanent office-holder is elected by the members. In several cases, the Rashtradhyaksh also functions as the Speaker.

Judiciary

As the nation follows the Westminster model of Parliamentary democracy despite the executive under the Rashtradhyaksh playing a largely significant role in the decision making process, there exists the three pillars of democracy - executive, legislature and judiciary. The judiciary stands as an independent branch of the system with the Supreme Court of Vishwamitra being the supreme judicial body of Vishwamitra and the highest court in the nation. It is the most senior constitutional court, and has the power of judicial review. The Chief Justice of Vishwamitra is the head and chief judge of the Supreme Court.

Political parties

Vishwamitra is a federal elective semi-constitutional monarchy with an twenty member-elected parliament. Elections to the parliament are held once in an year to elect the members of the Parliament, who in turn elects the Prime Minister on the command of the majority of the parties in the parliament. Prior to the establishment of the Party of Progress and Prosperity, the nation functioned as a one-party dominating with the National People's Congress being the party with an absolute majority.

The political party system was pioneered by Varuna Sriraya prior to the 2016 April general Election and launched the Friends Society Secular Party, which was able to win the elections. Following the new party system being established a lot of parties were established, but were all merged into the Friends Societal Congress back in 2019.

Current political parties

This list consists of all political parties in Vishwamitra which are registered by the Election Commission of Vishwamitra.

Party Party logo Party leader Ideology(s) Status Seats in Lok Sabha
National People's Congress
राष्ट्रीय जनता कांग्रेस
[e]
NPC Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia
Farhaz Hazarika
Big tent;
Secularism
In government
0 / 20
Vishwamitran National Party
विश्वामित्र राष्ट्रीय दल
VNP Josh Ford
Dinesh Rajagopalan
Democracy In government
0 / 20

Former political parties

Administrative divisions

Vishwamitra is a federal monarchy comprising of the six royal states with each state being ruled by a hereditary ruler titled Rajpramukh (राजप्रमुख), meaning head of the state who form the Conference of Rulers responsible for the election of the Rashtradhyaksh and Deputy Rashtradhyaksh every five years. The rajpramukhs serve as the executive heads of state who are vested with the power to deal with all affairs of their respective states and each state is ruled by a dynasty.

Article 48 of the constitution lists the precedence of the states in the order of seniority which shall also be followed in the election of the Rashtradhyaksh. This includes:

Further, under article 49, the precedence of the Rashtradhyaksh and their consort, the rulers of the states is provided which mentions that the each ruler shall precedence over the others in their respective states and the precedence at the federal level shall be determined on the basis of their accession to the throne.

Each of the states have their own capital city which is administered by a mayor appointed by the Rajpramukhs in consultation with the federal Ministry of Local Administration. The mayors are responsible for the affairs of the cities. Article 59 of the constitution describes that Rajagriha, until the parliament determines otherwise, shall be the federal capital and it shall be the Rashtradhyaksh who shall be responsible for formulating laws and administration of the capital. All the states and their capitals including the federal capital territory form the National Territorial Region (NTR) which is the principal territorial region of the nation.

The other administrative divisions include the federal territories, which are territories usually located out of the national territorial region and are directly administered by the federal government through a residential chief commissioner, who serves both as the monarch's personal representative to the territory, as well as, serving as the head of government. The current federal territories include:

The Ministry of Federal Territories coordinates with the federal territories in their affairs.

Military

The Royal Vishwamitran Army is the sole branch of the armed forces of Vishwamitra which is headed by the Chief of the Army Staff who is the professional head of the army. The army was initially existed ceremonially in 2018, and later formalised in 2021. Following the abolition of the Royal Vishwamitran Navy and the Royal Vishwamitran Air Force in 2022, the army was the sole branch that was retained. The current army chief is General Rory Leonard who is in office since 2024.

Following the structural changes, the army is tasked to formally safeguard and defend the sovereignty and integrity of the nation and her territories. The Administrators of the overseas territories are tasked with the power to maintain a internal defence force for the security and defence of the territories.

NATO equiv. code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student officer
 Vishwamitra
(Edit)
No equivalent
Field Marshal
फ़ील्ड मार्शल
General
जनरल
Lieutenant general
लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल
Colonel commandant
ब्रिगेडियर
Colonel
कर्नल
Major
मेजर
Captain
कप्तान
Lieutenant
लेफ्टिनेंट

Foreign relations

Current relations

The foreign relations of Vishwamitra are handled by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of Vishwamitra which is headed by the Minister of External Affairs who is of cabinet rank and occasionally by a Minister of State. It maintains a policy of neutrality with the nations it maintains formal relations and has amicable relations with other countries and a policy of non-alignment at the global stage. Vishwamitra is a member state of the Grand Unified Micronational which is currently the oldest existing micronational organization. It is a founder-member state of the Association of South Asian Micronations and has a prominent role in the Asian micronational sector.

As per the foreign policy,[56] Vishwamitra maintains two types of micronational recognition: formal, which is attained through the signing of a treaty of mutual recognition with the nations, and the other is informal recognition which is maintained with nations through membership in various organizations. Often the relations with certain nations are elevated to special levels with the signing of a treaty of friendship and cooperation which aims at enhancing diplomatic relations with those nations in various fields of endeavour. The nations currently maintaining special status of relations with Vishwamitra are:

The first diplomatic relations were established in August 2019 and the Metropolitan Electorate of Fidelis was the first nation to establish formal diplomatic relations with Vishwamitra. As of November 2024, Vishwamitra has signed a total of more than 180 treaties with various micronations and currently maintains diplomatic relations with 110 nations. The nations are:

Diplomatic missions

Vishwamitra also maintains ceremonial and honorary diplomatic missions in several micronations as well as macronations. The heads of the diplomatic missions to micronations are titled as "Ambassadors", while those accredited to macronations are titled as "Representatives", which is due to the unilateral recognition of such states by Vishwamitra.

Organisational engagement

Ever since joining the micronational community, Vishwamitra has been a part of several intermicronational organisations. However since moving apart from the greater community in 2024, Vishwamitra, now actively engages itself mainly in bilateral relations and within the South Asian community. Vishwamitra is an active member and founder of the South Asian Association of Micronational Cooperation since October 2024. At its peak, Vishwamitra has previously been a member of several notable organisations including the Grand Unified Micronational, the Cupertino Alliance, the Asia-Pacific Alliance among prominent.

National symbols

The national symbols of Vishwamitra are things which are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Vishwamitra or Vishwamitran culture. Some are established, official symbols, including the flag of Vishwamitra, and governmentally-named symbols, such as the national flower and animal. Other symbols may not hold any form official status, for one reason or another, but are likewise recognised at a national or even intermicronational level. The symbols were adopted at various stages in the existence of Vishwamitra and various rules and regulations governing their definition or use. The flag of Vishwamitra was adopted on 11 October 2020, when a referendum was held to replace the existing flag. The current coat of arms was adopted in 2023, with minor changes in 2024, and is blazoned by chief herald Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia and emblazoned by national artist Aidan McGrath.

List of national and official symbols of Vishwamitra

Symbol Name Image
National Flag National flag of Vishwamitra[57]
National Coat of Arms Coat of arms of Vishwamitra
National motto Loka Samasta Sukhinobhavantu
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनोभवंतु
Let the world be happy
National anthem शांति हमारा लक्ष्य है
"Peace is our goal"

Royal anthem O! Hamare Mahan Shashak
ओ! हमारे महान शासक
"O! Our Great Ruler"
National cockade National cockade of Vishwamitra
National colours Azure and Gold
National animal One-horned Indian rhinoceros
National flower Indian lotus
National bird Indian peafowl
National sport Cricket
Official language Hindi
English
हिन्दी
English
National calendar Gregorian calendar
Saka calendar

Geography

Vishwamitra's lands, located in the National Territorial Region, are enclaved in the city of Guwahati, situated on the banks of the river Brahmaputra. Surrounded by the mighty Nilachal and Narakasura Hills, the nation enjoys a wide range of flora and fauna. Most lands lie in the plains with wide variety of trees, plants and shrubs. The nation lies in the coordinates of 26.1445°N and 91.7362°E.[58] Vishwamitra spans over the time zone of UTC+5:30 which is also termed as the Indian Standard Time. The topography of Vishwamitra is diverse and comprises of hills, mountains and plains. As the nation is situated on the banks of the river, the main sources of water in the nation are from the river.

Climate

National Territorial Region

The National Territorial Region[g] has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa), falling just short of a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). As the nation lies on 56m above sea level, the climate in Vishwamitra is warm and temperate. When compared with winter, the summers have much more rainfall. The average annual temperature in Vishwamitra is 24.6 °C (76.3 °F). The annual rainfall is 1698 mm (66.9 inch). The driest month is December, with 6 mm (0.2 inch) of rain. In June, the precipitation reaches its peak, with an average of 315 mm (12.4 inch). August is the warmest month of the year. The temperature in August averages 29.0 °C (84.2 °F). At 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) on average, January is the coldest month of the year.[59]

Climate data for National Territorial Region
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 74.5
(23.6)
79.3
(26.3)
85.6
(29.8)
87.1
(30.6)
88.5
(31.4)
90
(32.2)
89.8
(32.1)
90.7
(32.6)
89.2
(31.8)
87.1
(30.6)
82.4
(28.0)
76.8
(24.9)
85.09
(29.49)
Average low °F (°C) 37.4
(3.0)
41.5
(5.3)
47.3
(8.5)
50.5
(10.3)
61.5
(16.4)
68.7
(20.4)
70.9
(21.6)
72.1
(22.3)
67.8
(19.9)
56.8
(13.8)
50
(10.0)
40.8
(4.9)
55.46
(13.03)
Average Precipitation inches (mm) 12.0
(305)
22.3
(566)
58.4
(1483)
187.8
(4770)
243.1
(6175)
295.0
(7493)
326.2
(8285)
265.7
(6749)
197.8
(5024)
121.3
(3081)
16.0
(406)
6.2
(157)
1,751.8
(44,496)
Sunshine hours 225.5 213.8 220.1 200.6 191.1 133.1 123.7 161.6 139.0 205.8 230.9 231.7 2,276.9
Source: India Meteorological Department

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
201516—    
201731+39.19%
201839+25.81%
201957+46.15%
202077+35.09%

The latest population statistics were carried and released by the Ministry of Statistics on 6 March 2022 in which mentioned that there are a total of 156 resident and overseas citizens. The largest group of the citizens are residents of India which is closely by people from the United States.

Country No. of citizens
 India 58
 United States 31
 United Kingdom 9
 Estonia 7
 Canada 6
 Australia 6
 Romania 3
 Italy 3
 Philippines 3
 Colombia 3
 Georgia 2
  Switzerland 2
 Greece 2
 Thailand 2
 Taiwan 2
 Japan 2
 France 1
 Bangladesh 1
 Spain 1
 Germany 1
 Saudi Arabia 1
 Hungary 1
 Venezuela 1
 Pakistan 1
 Netherlands 1
 Czech Republic 1
 Poland 1
 Belgium 1
 Malta 1
 Croatia 1
 Nigeria 1
 Ireland 1
 Indonesia 1

Language

Languages spoken in Vishwamitra belong to several language families, the major ones being the Indo-Aryan languages with 86.95% of the total population being its first language speakers. The Constitution of Vishwamitra states that Hindi and English shall be the official languages of the nation, with English being used on all official documents. English is the most spoken language in the State with 100% of the total population being able to speak, communicate, write and interpret in it despite 6.51% of the total population are only first language English speakers.

Apart from the official languages, the Constitution recognises six other languages as scheduled languages, which are Bengali, Assamese, Nepali, Urdu, Spanish, Romanian, French. Assamese is the widely spoken language, with 45.65% of the total population being first language speakers; it is closely followed by Bengali, with 34.78% of the population being first language speakers.

Religion

Religion in Vishwamitra is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The preamble of the constitution states that Vishwamitra is a secular state. According to the 2020 census, 73.91% of the population of Vishwamitra practices Hinduism, 10.87% adheres Islam, 6.52% adheres Christianity, 2.18% adheres Buddhism and 6.52% either to atheists or irreligious.

Religion has a strong influence on the nation's culture, art and literature. Hinduism is the most practiced religion in the State making it the largest group of religion, followed by Islam which is the second largest religious group in the State. The province of Basistha has the largest population of Islam followers in comparison to any other state.

Hinduism

Hinduism is an ancient religion with the largest religious grouping in the State, with around 73.91% of the population. Hinduism is diverse, with monotheism, henotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, atheism, agnosticism, and gnosticism being represented. The term Hindu, originally a geographical description, derives from the Sanskrit, Sindhu, (the historical appellation for the Indus River), and refers to a person from the land of the river Sindhu.

Islam

Islam is a monotheistic religion centered on the belief in one God, Allah and following the example of his messenger, Muhammad; it is the largest minority religion in Vishwamitra. About 10.87% of the country's population identify as adherents of Islam (2020 census). Muslims have a high concentration in the Province of Basistha with 66.67% of the population following Islam. There has been no particular census conducted in India with regards to sects, but sources suggest the largest denomination is Sunni Islam with a substantial minority of Shiite Muslims and Ahmadi Muslims.

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion centred on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament. It is the third largest religion of Vishwamitra, making up 6.52% of the population.

Buddhism

Buddhism is a transtheistic religion and philosophy. It makes 2.18% of the total population.

Culture

The culture of Vishwamitra is highly influenced from Indian culture which is based on the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, etc. that originated in or are associated with the Indian subcontinent. The State has a wide range of diverse languages, art, music, dance, cuisine, costumes which illustrates our unity in diversity.

Architecture

The architecture in Vishwamitra is highly influenced from the Assam-type architecture,[60] which is the most-famous architectural style in the Indian state of Assam, and due to the National Territorial Region being located in Assam, most of the territorial infrastructure in Vishwamitra is influenced from that style.

The houses constructed using this style are generally termed as Assam-type houses, consisting usually one or more storeys. The houses are built to be earthquake proof, and are made from materials ranging from wood and bamboo to steel and concrete. Before the arrival of the British in India, affluent families in Assam lived in expensive, elaborately constructed houses, while the others survived in huts made from mud-plastered bamboo walls and thatched roofs. With the knowledge of and access to modern science, British engineers assessed the natural environment and designed and constructed buildings that are now known as Assam-type buildings. The present-day Assam-type buildings are a result of architectural improvements that were introduced in colonial Assam.

The general design of a residential building incorporates a living room, verandah, kitchen, besides bedrooms and bathrooms. Some may additionally feature long corridors, connecting rooms. The roof is typically erected by high gables to overcome heavy rainfall in the region, where walls are usually timber-framed, plastered with cement. With high ceilings and well-ventilated rooms, the floorings are either wooden or concrete with tiled, mosaic or stone surfacing with stilts.

Performing arts and media

Music in Vishwamitra

The music in Vishwamitra ranges over various traditions and regional styles and is heavily influenced by the Indian music. The classical music has two genres and various folk offshoots: the northern Hindustani and the southern Carnatic music. The western influenced Bollywood and filmi music is considered to be highly liked by the citizens. Other forms and versions like pop, jazz, etc. are considered to be much heard by the citizens. Most of the people of Vishwamitra are able to perform over classical Indian musical instruments like Harmonium, Tabla, Sitar, Dhak, etc.

Dance in Vishwamitra

The dance in Vishwamitra also features diverse folk and classical forms. Better known folk dances include Bhangra, Bihu, Chhau, Jhumoor, Jarba, Dandiya, etc. The Ministry of Culture recognizes the following eight dance folks as the classical dance forms of Vishwamitra. These includes

Media in Vishwamitra

The Purvanchal Times is one of the principal sources of media in the nation, which is the only and official national newspaper of the nation run by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Apart from the official newspaper, the nation has a strong media presence over Twitter and other social media platforms. Bollywood movies have high influence over majority of the population of the nation, with 83% of the total population being admirer of high-grossing Bollywood movies. Apart from Bollywood, Netflix series are very fondly watched by the citizens.

Cuisine

The cuisine in Vishwamitra consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent.[61] Most of the cuisines consist of locally available spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. The cuisine is also highly influenced by local Assamese and Bengali cuisines.[62] Some ingredients commonly found in the dishes include: rice, wheat, ginger, green chillies and spices.

Chicken Biryani
Jalebi

Some of the most famous dishes in Vishwamitra are as follows:

Indian milk tea

Apart from main course dishes, it has a wide range of street foods, including chaat, panipuri, samosa, kachori, etc. and a wide range of deserts and sweets including dahi, halwa, rasgullas, jalebi. Foreign cuisines also have a wide range of influence on the food in Vishwamitra. Chinese-origin dishes like Chowmein, momos, noodles; Italian-origin pasta, pizza; hamburger, hot dog, pancake, etc. are widely liked by the people.

Among the beverages, Tea[63] is the most famous and highly preferred beverage or drink in the nation. Tea is considered to be the national drink of Vishwamitra. Apart of tea, coffee, milk, coke, and other natural juices are highly drank by the people.

Holidays

Public holidays in Vishwamitra are regulated at both federal and state levels, mainly based on a list of federal holidays observed nationwide and in the overseas territories plus a few additional holidays observed by each individual states and in the overseas territories. The public holidays are a mix of secular holidays celebrating the nation and its history, and selected traditional holidays of the various ethnic and religious groups that make up the country.

Public holidays are determined at the beginning of a new year as per the Gregorian calendar by the Ministry of Home Affairs with approval from the Rashtradhyaksh. State holidays, those celebrated in particular states, excluding the federal ones are determined by their respective Rajpramukhs while the Administrators of the overseas territories have the power to legislate and decree holidays to be observed in the respective territories.

The national holidays are celebrated throughout the nation with a closure of all offices of the government excluding those of emergency affairs, while the restricted or religious holidays are observed throughout the nation with an exception to the overseas territories. The closure of offices are decided by the respective departmental heads. In addition to the national and restricted holidays, each state may gazette a number of state public holidays to be observed in the state. In every state, the official birthday of the state ruler is celebrated as a public holiday.

See also

External links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 . "Proclamation of the Commonwealth". 03 August 2019.
  2. Government Archives. Prime Minister appointed, cabinet formed. 21 May 2014.
  3. Government Archives. President elected. 15 July 2014.
  4. Government Archives. Parliament elects Acting Chairman of the Council of Ministers. 27 December 2014.
  5. Government Archives. "President appoints Prime Minister and members of the Council of Ministers". 06 December 2015.
  6. Government Archives. Results of General Elections. 11 April 2016
  7. Government Archives. "President appoints new Prime Minister and Council of Ministers". 11 April 2016.
  8. Government Archives."Two provinces and one union territory established; Children's Group becomes federal republic." 18 September 2016.
  9. Government Archives. " Speech of Prime Minister on Inauguration of WhatsApp Account." Google Drive. 1 January 2017.
  10. Government Archives. "Deputy Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish sacked" 17 February 2017.
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  16. Government Archives. "Prime Minister re-elected to office, forms new cabinet." 21 March 2018.
  17. Government Archives. "First Executive Cabinet formed." 12 October 2018.
  18. Government Archives. "Portfolios allocated amongst members of the executive cabinet". 12 October 2018.
  19. Friends Society. "Presidential Election Results 2018". Google Drive, 25 November 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  20. Government Archives. Results of General Elections announced. 17 March 2019.
  21. Government Archives. Special Administrative Territories created. 06 March 2019.
  22. Government Archives. Administrators of the Two Special Administrative Territories appointed. 06 March 2019.
  23. Government Archives. President directs the creation of peerage in the nation. 16 April 2019.
  24. Government Archives. Results of by-polls announced. 2 June 2019.
  25. Government Archives. Position of Senior Minister created by letters-patent. 14 July 2019.
  26. Government Archives. Commonwealth joins OMENU as full member. 05 August 2019.
  27. Government Archives.Government launches cleanliness drive & bans use of single use plastic. 21 September 2019.
  28. Government Archives. Basistha become an union territory. 25 October 2020.
  29. Government Archives. President prorogues Parliament until March 2020. 04 December 2020.
  30. Government Archives. Government suspends all diplomatic/consular services with all foreign micronations. 12 January 2020.
  31. Government Archives. Council of Presidential Advisers constituted. 14 January 2020.
  32. Government Archives. States to be known as dominions; Governors-General to be appointed by the Head of Commonwealth. 2 February 2020.
  33. Government Archives. Election Schedule announced. 18 February 2020.
  34. Government Archives. Third Central Committee constituted, National People's Congress established. 29 February 2020.
  35. Government Archives. Prime Minister tenders her resignation. 3 March 2020
  36. Government Archives. President accepts resignation of the Prime Minister. 3 March 2020
  37. Government Archives. Anoushkaa Patranabish appointed Prime Minister. 4 March 2020
  38. Government Archives. Dissolution of regional governments. 5 March 2020
  39. Government Archives. Results of the election to the office of the Prime Minister. 21 March 2020
  40. Government Archives. President appoints Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. 21 March 2020
  41. Government Archives. "Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish removed as General Secretary of the National People's Congress". 12 April 2020.
  42. Government Archives. "President Varuna Sriraya to step down on 30 April 2020". 13 April 2020.
  43. Government Archives. State Council approves the appointment of Tanishkaa Patranabish as President. 1 May 2020
  44. Government Archives. Regency Act, 2020. 25 May 2020
  45. Government Archives. Monarchy to be established, proposal passed in the Council. 3 June 2020.
  46. Government Archives. State Council appoints Rajpramukhs and other royalties. 7 June 2020
  47. 47.0 47.1 Constitution of Privy Council. 1 July 2020.
  48. . Rashtradhyaksh abdicates, Upa Rashtradhyaksh to be Acting Rashtradhyaksh. 29 July 2020.
  49. . Monarchy Ordinance Act, establishment of diarchy. 29 July 2020
  50. Government Archives. Acting Prime Minister appointed. 20 August 2020
  51. [1]
  52. Casper Naverović appointed as Acting Prime Minister. 28 January 2021.
  53. Government Archives. Rashtradhyaksh installed in a solemn ceremony. 23 August 2020.
  54. "Communique: Resignation of the cabinet; Appointment of Prime Minister and Ministers; and Allocation of Portfolios". Google Docs. 21 November 2021.
  55. Varuna Sriraya (12 May 2022). "Communique: Appointment of the Prime Minister and members of the union council of ministers". Google Docs.
  56. Alexander, Liam (30 May 2022). "Change in foreign policy". Google Docs.
  57. Government Archives. Vishwamitra adopts new flag. 11 October 2020.
  58. Latlong.net. Coordinates.
  59. Climate in the National Territorial Region.
  60. Case Study: Assam-type architecture.
  61. Master Class. A Comprehensive Guide to Indian Cuisine
  62. NDTV Food. Top Bengali Recipes.
  63. Importance of Assam Tea.

Notes

  1. Article 56 of the Constitution of Vishwamitra specifies that English in Roman script and Hindi in Devanagari script shall be the official languages of the nation.
  2. Scheduled recognized languages are specified under Article 57 of the constitution.
  3. Vishwamitra is also often referred to as a sovereign state under international law.
  4. The Parliament of the Friends Society was known as the National Assembly between 11 September 2018 and 2 June 2019.
  5. The National People's Congress, initially established as Friends Societal Congress in 2017 has been the ruling party since the Commonwealth of Friends Society existed.
  6. Renamed as the National People's Congress in March 2020.
  7. The National Territorial Region is the principal administrative region of the State, comprising of the royal provinces, the capital cities and the national capital region.