Pradyot Debbarma Demands Unconditional Apology From Boxanagar MLA Over Anti-Tribal Remarks

Four prominent youth and student organizations filed a police complaint in Agartala on Tuesday demanding the immediate arrest of Boxanagar MLA Tofazzal Hossain after former Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma publicly demanded an unconditional apology from the legislator for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the food habits and cultural identity of Tripura’s indigenous tribal communities during an election campaign meeting.

At A Glance:

• Former Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Debbarma demands an unconditional apology from Boxanagar MLA Tofazzal Hossain over alleged anti-tribal food habit remarks.

• Four student and youth groups (TYA, SFI, TSU, TYF) file a joint FIR at West Agartala police station demanding the MLA’s immediate arrest.

• Indigenous leaders condemn the remarks as racist and communal, accusing the ruling party of trying to disrupt social harmony ahead of elections.

Former Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma has strongly condemned alleged derogatory remarks made by Boxanagar MLA Tofazzal Hossain against the food habits and cultural identity of tribal communities of the State.

The controversial remarks occurred during a recent election campaign meeting. Debbarma demanded an unconditional apology from the legislator, while four student and youth organizations filed a joint police complaint seeking his immediate arrest.

The controversy has sparked widespread anger across the state. Tribal organizations accused the MLA of making communal and discriminatory statements. They warned that such remarks directly hurt the sentiments of indigenous communities and threaten social harmony in Tripura.

Pradyot Debbarma Defends Tribal Identity and Traditions

In a video message, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma stated that he remains committed to protecting the dignity of indigenous people.

Although he is no longer actively involved in politics, he vowed to speak out whenever the respect and identity of tribal communities come under attack.

Debbarma emphasized that food preferences are an essential part of personal choice, cultural identity, and long-standing tradition.

He insisted that no individual, regardless of their political stature, holds the right to insult any community over its traditional food choices.

Pradyot Kishore Debbarma drew a direct comparison to a past controversy involving YouTuber Amir Shokin. He noted that the content creator had previously used derogatory terms like ‘Chinese’ and ‘Chinky’ against people from Tripura and the broader Northeast region.

According to Debbarma, the primary difference now is that the latest offensive remarks came from an elected lawmaker.

He questioned whether the MLA’s political party endorses such offensive language.

Debbarma noted that the central issue is not the official position an individual holds, but the underlying mindset reflected in public statements.

He urged the tribal population not to remain silent when anyone insults their culture, heritage, or food habits, calling for a unified defense of indigenous rights.

Four Youth Groups File FIR Against Boxanagar Lawmaker

Escalating the legal fallout, four major student and youth bodies jointly lodged a formal First Information Report (FIR) at the West Agartala police station on Tuesday. The groups include the Twipra Youth Association (TYA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Twipra Students’ Union (TSU), and Twipra Yuva Federation (TYF).

Representatives from all four organizations arrived together at the police station to hand over their written complaint. They alleged that Hossain’s campaign statements were explicitly racist, communal, and designed to incite hostility against tribal citizens.

Following the submission, TYF central committee general secretary Kamal Debbarma addressed reporters outside the police station.

He accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of promoting politics along caste, tribal, and religious lines since gaining power at the Centre in 2014 and in Tripura in 2018.

Kamal Debbarma claimed that the ruling party is attempting to provoke communal division because it has lost popular public support.