Tipra Motha Party (TMP) founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Monday, January 12, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are actively considering implementing the Tiprasa Accord to protect the rights of Tripura’s indigenous communities, even as some BJP leaders in the state reportedly oppose the move.
Speaking to the media at Kamalpur in Dhalai district, Debbarma said the Centre appeared committed to honouring the accord, but “a few BJP leaders in Agartala seem opposed to the move.” The Tiprasa Accord, signed in March 2024 between the TMP, the central government, and the Tripura administration, aims to ensure the development and safeguarding of indigenous communities. Tripura is home to around 15 lakh indigenous people across more than 40 tribes and sub-tribes, forming a significant portion of the state’s total population of roughly 40 lakh.
Debbarma also expressed confidence about TMP’s prospects in the upcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections scheduled for March. “We are 110 per cent sure of winning the ADC elections. I have been working for the Tiprasa people continuously for the past five years,” he said.
Recalling the formation of the TTAADC under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in 1982, Debbarma noted that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had supported granting special status to tribal areas, despite opposition from certain Congress leaders in Agartala. “Ultimately, Indira Gandhi overruled the state leadership and ensured the inclusion of Tripura’s tribal areas under the Sixth Schedule. The TTAADC was constituted on January 15, 1982,” he said.
Debbarma emphasised that TMP is not against any community. “Our sole objective is to secure the rights of the Tiprasa people. I entered politics to protect the rights of future generations,” he added.
He also took a swipe at Chief Minister Manik Saha in response to remarks urging TMP to act like a “junior brother” within the BJP-led alliance. “I do not have an elder brother, only an elder sister. In politics, there is no big brother or younger brother — everyone is equal,” Debbarma said. Saha had made the comment during a programme at Baijalbari in Khowai district on December 23 amid tensions following reported attacks on BJP workers.
With the ADC elections around the corner, Debbarma’s statements highlight the political friction within the ruling alliance and keep the spotlight on the Tiprasa Accord and the future of indigenous rights in Tripura.