TIPRA Motha calls for Bandh on Sept 30 over demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’
TIPRA Motha party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma said that Tipra Motha would call for a Bandh in Tripura to put pressure on the Centre for a constitutional solution to the problems faced by the indigenous people
The TIPRA Motha party on September 30 will hold a 12-hour strike in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas across the state to press the Centre for their demand of ‘Greater Tipraland’ for the indigenous community.
“We are going to hold a one-day strike in the TTAADC areas on September 30. The strike will continue from 6am to 6pm. We want to give a message to the Centre that we have been waiting for long. We want a solution at the earliest,” TIPRA Motha party founder and central working committee (CWC) member Pradyot Kishore Debbarma told the reporters at his royal abode in Agartala on Saturday.
He said that Tipra Motha would call for a Bandh in Tripura to put pressure on the Centre for a constitutional solution to the problems faced by the indigenous people.
The moves come following his meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, North East advisor to ministry of home affairs AK Mishra, and other officials in Delhi over TIPRA Motha’s demand for a separate state for tribals of Tripura.
Debbarma said that the demand for a separate state for the indigenous people is a “genuine sentiment and above politics” and cited examples of the Centre’s recent decisions to grant law and order, and financial authorities to Karbi and Bodo tribal councils in Assam.
“I believe that the central government isn’t against the interests of the indigenous. But we want assurances in writing,” he told.
The Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance (TIPRA) was founded in 2021 by royal scion Debbarma, keeping the agenda of creating ‘Greater Tipraland’, a separate state for the indigenous community living in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council and other northeastern states including Assam, Mizoram etc.
Earlier this week, Pradyot said that he feels the time has come for the tribals of Tripura to become united and raise the demand for their rights through a “massive but peaceful movement”, that would make their voice heard in New Delhi.
On the delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies likely to be held next year, Debbarma said: “It is certainly going to be conducted. Delimitation is happening in Assam. Bangladesh is not a stable country. Do we want more people to come here? We should get together to prevent illegal migration from Bangladesh.”
“If Bengalis have any problem, it’s not for the indigenous people. If the indigenous people have a problem, it’s not because of the Bengalis. The cross-border migration is the main problem,” he added.
One of the two Lok Sabha seats of Tripura is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and many feel the delimitation might disrupt the reservation criteria of these seats.
Within a few months of its formation, the TIPRA Motha had contested and won the TTAADC polls. The party, later contested the 60-seated Assembly polls in this February to secure 13 seats and emerge as the main opposition party.
Tripura, which has 3.7 million people living in a 10,491.69 sqkm area, has nearly 30% of its population from 19 recognised tribal communities.
