Pradyot calls for protection of indigenous land rights in Tripura

Tipra Motha Party founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma has called for the fulfilment of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur’s vision of protecting the land rights of Tripura’s indigenous people.

Speaking on the occasion of Maharaja Bir Bikram’s birth anniversary, Debbarma said people across the State were paying tribute to the former ruler by garlanding his statues and offering flowers to his portraits. While welcoming the tributes, he questioned whether the State had truly fulfilled the late Maharaja’s vision.

Debbarma, a descendant of the Manikya royal family, said Maharaja Bir Bikram had introduced a law in 1940 aimed at protecting indigenous land in tribal areas by restricting the transfer of land to non-indigenous people.

According to Debbarma, the legal framework governing land rights was subsequently changed after Independence with the introduction of the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms (TLR & LR) Act.

He also pointed out that areas earlier reserved for tribal communities subsequently became part of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

“Today, we celebrate Maharaja Bir Bikram’s birthday and seek votes in his name, but when will we fulfil his dream?” Debbarma asked.

He said land ownership was fundamental to the security and future of indigenous communities and argued that without equitable access to land, indigenous people could not have lasting economic and social security.

Drawing comparisons with other parts of the Northeast, including Mizoram, Dima Hasao, the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo areas and Nagaland, Debbarma said indigenous communities in these regions enjoyed stronger protections over their traditional lands.

He alleged that indigenous people in Tripura continued to face limitations relating to land rights and the granting of pattas in areas under the Sixth Schedule.

“If we truly want to respect Maharaja Bir Bikram, we must fulfil his dream—that not a single poor indigenous person should become landless,” he said.

Debbarma urged people to move beyond symbolic tributes and work towards securing land and constitutional rights for indigenous communities.

He said stronger protection of such rights would benefit the present generation while ensuring a more secure future for coming generations.

He also reiterated his vision of a united and prosperous Tripura where indigenous people can live with dignity, security and constitutional protection of their land rights.