Tripura CPI(M)’s tribal wing calls BJP ‘biggest enemy’ ahead of TTAADC polls

The Tripura Rajya Gana Mukti Parisad (GMP), the tribal wing of the CPI(M) in Tripura, on January 31, termed the BJP its “biggest enemy”, even as it acknowledged political and ideological differences with the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), ahead of the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

GMP president Naresh Jamatia, who was re-elected at the organisation’s recent state-level conference, made the remarks while addressing reporters. The conference was held earlier this week, a few months before the crucial tribal council polls.

“We consider the BJP our biggest enemy, though we have ideological and political differences with the TMP. The BJP had nurtured and used the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) before the 2018 Assembly elections,” Jamatia said.

The former minister said the GMP has decided to welcome all political parties willing to defeat the BJP in the upcoming TTAADC elections. He also alleged that both the IPFT and the TMP were “products of the saffron party” created to weaken the CPI(M) in tribal areas.

GMP general secretary Radha Charan Debbarma criticised the TMP over the Kokborok script issue, accusing the party of creating confusion on the matter.

“Kokborok has historically been written in the Bengali script. Over time, demands have been raised for the adoption of the Roman script. At present, the TMP is leading the campaign in favour of the Roman script,” Debbarma said.
Questioning the TMP’s stance, he asked why the Roman script had not yet been introduced in all tribal council-run schools if the party was serious about its implementation.

During the two-day state conference held on January 29 and 30, the GMP adopted a ten-point charter of demands, including the inclusion of the Kokborok language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and the passage of the 125th Constitutional Amendment to further empower the tribal council, Debbarma added.