The Tripura Tribal Customary Law Co-ordination Committee will stage a demonstration near the Mahatma Gandhi statue beside Circuit House in Agartala on December 7 to pressure the state government and TTAADC administration into completing the codification of customary laws for the state’s 19 tribal communities.
At A Glance
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The Tripura Tribal Customary Law Co-ordination Committee will organise a three-hour sit-in protest in Agartala on December 7.
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Fourteen customary law bills passed by the TTAADC on December 28, 2022, remain pending, with 10 returned for modifications and four under government consideration.
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The committee has warned of a possible Tripura bandh if the authorities fail to address its demand for early codification.
The demand for legal recognition of traditional practices followed by Tripura’s indigenous communities is gaining momentum, with tribal leaders announcing a three-hour sit-in demonstration in Agartala on December 7. The protesters will press the state government and the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) to expedite the codification of customary laws governing marriage, inheritance, adoption and other personal and social matters.
The Tripura Tribal Customary Law Co-ordination Committee announced the programme following a meeting at the Agartala Press Club on Sunday. Community leaders, traditional chieftains and representatives of different tribal groups attended the meeting and discussed the prolonged delay in granting formal recognition to their customary laws.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, committee Joint Convenor Birendra Tripura said the demonstration would begin at noon near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, adjacent to Circuit House. It would continue for three hours.
14 Customary Law Bills Remain Pending
The committee expressed concern that 14 customary law bills passed unanimously by the TTAADC in its session on December 28, 2022, have yet to complete the codification process.
Birendra Tripura said nearly four years had passed since the autonomous district council approved the proposed legislation. However, the concerned authorities had failed to bring the process to its logical conclusion.
He explained that the state government had returned 10 of the 14 bills to the TTAADC administration, along with observations and recommendations for necessary modifications and corrections.
These 10 bills are currently pending with the autonomous district council administration. The remaining four bills are still under consideration by the state government.
The committee has expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress and urged the authorities to resolve the outstanding issues without further delay.
The proposed laws seek to provide formal recognition to traditional systems governing important aspects of community life. These include marriage, inheritance, adoption and other personal and social institutions followed by different indigenous groups.
Repeated Assurances Yet No Progress
The committee said it had approached both the state government and the TTAADC administration several times to secure the formal enactment of the proposed laws.
However, its representatives alleged that repeated appeals and representations had failed to produce any meaningful outcome.
Birendra Tripura recalled that the committee had earlier met TTAADC Chief Executive Member and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha through separate deputations.
According to him, both leaders had assured the representatives that their concerns would receive attention and the matter would be resolved shortly.
Despite these assurances, the committee has not noticed any tangible progress in the process.
The December 7 demonstration, therefore, aims to renew pressure on both authorities and highlight the prolonged delay in completing the legislative exercise.
Committee Threatens Wider Agitation
The committee has also warned of a broader agitation if the authorities fail to take concrete steps after the proposed sit-in.
Birendra Tripura said the organisation might call a Tripura bandh if the government and TTAADC administration continued to delay action on the demand.
The warning signals the committee’s intention to intensify its movement if the December 7 programme fails to produce a positive response.
The organisation expects the authorities to take the necessary decisions and move forward with the pending bills rather than prolonging the process further.
19 Tribal Communities Seek Recognition of Customary Laws
Highlighting the importance of customary laws in preserving the traditional identity of indigenous communities, Birendra Tripura said that, apart from Jamatia Hoda, no other customary law had received formal codification despite sustained efforts by community elders and leaders.
He stressed that Tripura’s 19 tribal communities have their own distinct traditions and customary practices. Each community should receive equal recognition of its traditional systems governing personal and social affairs.
According to him, every indigenous community has an equal right to maintain its own personal laws based on customs and traditions followed since time immemorial.
The committee believes that formal codification would help protect these traditional practices and provide legal recognition to the institutions that continue to shape community life.
With the December 7 demonstration approaching, the organisation has renewed its appeal to the state government and the TTAADC administration to settle the pending issues and ensure that the customary law bills move towards formal enactment.
