Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: The Tipraland Statehood Demand Committee (TSDC), an organisation of tribal thinkers advocating separate statehood, on Thursday accused regional tribal parties IPFT and Tipra Motha of moving away from their long-standing demand for a separate state for indigenous people after becoming part of the political establishment.
At a meeting held here, TSDC leader Aghor Debbarma said the demand for a separate state comprising areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) remained relevant and urged political parties to renew their commitment to the issue.
Debbarma said the demand was rooted in constitutional provisions and had been central to the political campaigns of several indigenous parties in the state over the years.
“We have been demanding separate statehood for the TTAADC areas. This is a constitutional demand under Articles 1 and 2 of the Constitution. Parties that once projected statehood as their primary political objective appear to have distanced themselves from the issue after coming to power,” he said.
According to him, the committee convened the meeting to remind political leaders of commitments made to indigenous communities before elections.
The TSDC leader alleged that the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which was established with the demand for Tipraland and later became an ally of the BJP, had failed to actively pursue the issue despite being part of the government.
He also criticised Tipra Motha, stating that the party emerged with the demand for Greater Tipraland and secured political support on that basis but had not made significant progress towards achieving its stated objective.
Debbarma claimed that both parties had sought public support by promising to safeguard the rights, identity, and cultural interests of indigenous people.
When asked about the role of Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, he said responsibility for fulfilling political commitments rested not only with an individual leader but with the entire party leadership.
“No promise should be reduced to mere lip service. People should assess the situation and draw their own conclusions,” Debbarma said.
The committee reiterated its demand for separate statehood for the TTAADC areas, arguing that such a step was necessary to protect the socio-cultural identity and interests of indigenous communities.
Debbarma also raised concerns over alleged illegal migration from across the Bangladesh border and its possible impact on the demographic profile of the state.
The TSDC comprises a section of tribal leaders, intellectuals, and social activists advocating the creation of a separate state from the areas currently administered by the TTAADC.
There was no immediate response from the IPFT, Tipra Motha, or Pradyot Kishore Debbarman to the allegations and observations made by the committee.