Tripura’s regional party — Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (known as TIPRA Motha) organized two-day sit-in demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanded elevation of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) into “Greater Tipraland “. The demonstration started on Monday (Dec 5)
Tipra Motha delegation submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the upgradation of the TTAADC to a “Greater Tipraland State” under articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution for the protection of demography and rights of the tribals.
The party in its memorandum to the Prime Minister said that within three years after the erstwhile princely state Tripura merged with the Indian union in October 1949, the indigenous tribals were reduced into minority and the influx of refugees continued till the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
“As most parts of the India-Bangladesh border with Tripura (856 km) are porous, the influx from Bangladesh still continued even today. The indigenous people are getting reduced to a minority every single day… it is the question of survival and existence.”
The TIPRA in its memorandum said that one of the most important royal laws — the reservation of land Act made by then king Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya with a massive area for the indigenous people of Tripura in 1931 and 1943.
“In order to rehabilitate the refugees in Tripura state, the reservation of land was repealed in 1974 by the state government, violating the government of India’s assurance. The indigenous people have not only been further reduced to a minority but had also been dislodged from the rights on the reserved land made for them by the Maharaja,” the tribal-based party said.
Around 1,500 tribals from Tripura, including a large number of women, held the two-day sit-in demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in the national capital to intensify their demand for greater autonomy for the tribals with Constitutional recognition.
TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman told IANS said that they would continue to organize various programmes and peaceful agitations in support of their demand.
