Tripura: Former IPFT minister accuses BJP of not allowing to work in tribal areas

Launching an attack on the ruling BJP for not allowing to work in tribal areas in Tripura, former Minister and MLA of Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) Mevar Kumar Jamatia who joined TIPRA Motha on November 9 claimed that more than 90 per cent of the IPFT’s different organization merged with TIPRA Motha.

Prior to the 2018 Assembly election, IPFT and BJP came into an alliance and formed a government ending the 25-year rule of the left front.

While addressing a press conference at Ujjayanta Palace with Royal Scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, the former minister Mevar said he has worked for many years, especially for the cause of tribal people.

“Until and unless we unite together our demands will not be fulfilled. BJP is demanding NRC, and CAA and our demand are Greater Tipraland as our ideology is different. Until and unless we come together our demands will not be fulfilled. Our goal is to achieve something. And we want some solution and without solution, we won’t compromise”, he said.

Claiming that he is the founder of the IPFT, the former minister said that after the formation of an alliance with the BJP the activity of the party became slow. 

“Earlier we have a lot of activities and after the alliance with BJP, it is nearly zero. Without any activity why people will support the IPFT? Very unfortunate actually that BJP and BJP Janajati Morcha the tribal unit of the ruling party not allowed to work in the tribal belt”, Mevar alleged.

He also lashed out at the BJP for not fulfilling the demands which were promised before the alliance.

“In my four years as a cabinet minister, I tried to do something for people but couldn’t. Even the government didn’t fulfil our simple demands. I asked many times to fulfil the demands of roman scripts for the Kokborok language. We have passed a bill in the cabinet in changing the name of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council into Tripura territorial council but nothing has been done. Before the alliance, we have a written agreement of forming a high-level committee to look after socio, the economic and political development of the indigenous people of Tripura. The committee was formed in 2018 and mentioned that within three months the report will be published but four years passed but nothing no report was published. I have asked several times to union ministers but nothing has been done”, he alleged.

He further informed that IPFT have 34 divisions and out of that more than 90 per cent of IPFT has merged with Tipra Motha. 

“Some of them are left and I believe in coming days more will join”, the former minister said.

The chairman of TIPRA Motha Pradyot said, “Thansa means unity and to work for the survival, right, for basic requirement and for constitutional demands keeping ego and attitude aside. Political parties have used tribal for vote bank politics”.