Vital tripartite meeting in New Delhi to resolve demands of Tipra-Motha

A vital tripartite meeting between the Home Ministry (MHA), Tripura government and leaders of the opposition Tipra-Motha will be held in New Delhi on Saturday to resolve the demands of the tribal-based , party sources said.

The Tipra-Motha, which has been demanding 'Greater Tipraland' or a separate state for the tribals under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution, continued their demonstrations since February 28 at Hatoi Katar (Baramura) on the National Highway-8, the lifeline of Tripura.

 A senior BJP leader said in Agartala that a deal is likely to be signed between the MHA, Tripura government and the TIPRA-MOTHA to further strengthen the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), protection of constitutional rights of the tribals, direct funding to the tribal autonomous body and further modification of the tribals’ land rights.

 Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma, Tribal Welfare (TRP and PTG) Minister and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) leader Sukla Charan Noatia, opposition leader and senior Tipra-Motha leader Animesh Debbarma, TTAADC Chairman Jagadhish Debbarma, Motha President Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl and other leaders hurriedly went to Delhi on Friday night to attend the meeting.

The tribal-based party IPFT is an ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura. Tipra-Motha’s supremo and former royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and other party leaders have been camping in New Delhi since February 28.

Debbarma earlier claimed that he was called by the Central government to Delhi to discuss their demands. “What we are asking for is as per the Constitution. We want the government to fulfil the tribals' constitutional and land rights-related issues,” the Tipra-Motha Chief had told the media.

Tripura Chief Secretary J. K. Sinha and senior MHA officials are likely to attend the meeting. Ever since the Tipra-Motha wrested power in the politically important TTAADC in April 2021, the party intensified its agitation in support of the ‘Greater Tipraland’ demand, which has been strongly opposed by the ruling BJP, the opposition Left Front, Congress, Trinamool Congress and other parties.

The TTAADC, which has a jurisdiction over over two-third of Tripura's 10,491 sq km area, and is home to over 12,16,000 people, of which around 84 per cent are tribals, is, in terms of its political significance, the second most important constitutional body after the Tripura Assembly. The ruling BJP often tries to take Tipra-Motha’s support to gain tribal votes, which constitute one-third of the state’s 28.57 lakh voters.