TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma Monday announced the party’s plan to expand outside the state by bringing different regional indigenous political parties in the Northeast on a common platform.
Debbarma’s comments come ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) polls, which have been delayed.
While addressing a mass-joining programme at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala, Debbarma said, “Pradyot Bikram Manikya will not do politics in Tripura only in the coming days. Tiprasa will not do politics in Tripura only, but we shall bring all the indigenous political fronts of Northeast, Manipur, Meghalaya, Dimasa Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Nagaland, and Tripura together to constitute one indigenous people’s party to fight for our rights”.
More than 1,200 people, mostly supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), joined the TIPRA Motha during the event.
Debbarma stressed that their movement would extend beyond the protection of TTAADC, adding that the TIPRA Motha party is a secular party. “Tripura’s royal family has never been communal. I am not communal either, but some people are attempting to portray me otherwise,” said Debbarma.
Appealing to the Tripura’s Bengali population, Debbarma also urged for unity between the indigenous and non-indigenous communities. Referring to the migration of Bengalis from erstwhile East Pakistan, he said that Tripura’s indigenous population provided food, shelter, and protection to the refugees. “Unfortunately, some have misunderstood the indigenous people as their enemies instead of identifying their real foes”.
Later, speaking to the reporters, Debbarma said, “This is the time when we should not think as Khasis, Garos, Jaintias, Boros, Dimasas or Tiprasas. A common voice for Northeast is required that can speak for people of the region”.
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He added that he had seen attempts by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to unite the Naga parties and expressed his wish to take a similar step to bring all the indigenous political forces together.
He also dismissed rumours of an internal split within the TIPRA Motha, and of its leaders joining other political parties. He said their mission is bigger: to foster unity among indigenous communities in the Northeast.
Debbarma also hinted that he would part ways with the BJP if the Tripartite Accord is not implemented soon.
