‘Amit Shah will bring a solution to Tiprasa issue’: Pradyot Kishore Debbarma

Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, on October 27, expressed confidence that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would soon provide a lasting solution to the long-pending Tiprasa issue.

Speaking at a party programme at Rabindra Bhavan, Debbarma said he has “immense respect” for Shah and believes the home minister will address the concerns of the indigenous Tiprasa community.

The TMP had earlier signed a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government in March 2024, aimed at ensuring the overall development of the Tiprasa people. The agreement was signed in the presence of Shah in New Delhi.

Debbarma clarified that the party’s alliance with the BJP was finalised in New Delhi, not at the state level. He cautioned against spreading “baseless rumours” about the partnership, saying it would “serve no purpose.”

Taking a dig at the BJP, Debbarma mocked the party’s recent claims about indigenous voters joining its ranks. “They said 6,400 voters each joined the BJP at Mungiakmaki in Khowai and at Takarjala in West Tripura. Another 339 joined later. If this trend continues, the Tiprasa population will reach 1.5 crore in three to four months,” he quipped.

Tripura’s tribal population currently stands at around 14 lakh. Debbarma added, “I don’t blame them for showing exaggerated figures. They need to present something to Delhi to prove their base in tribal areas has grown. So, they say there’s no need to continue the alliance with Tipra Motha.”

He also criticised the state government for delaying elections to the village committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), pointing out that tribal areas “have not seen democratic polls for the past ten years.”

Expressing displeasure over a separate issue, Debbarma said he was disappointed that Rajmata Bhibu Kumari Devi, wife of late Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya, was not invited to the inauguration of the redeveloped Maa Tripureswari temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 22. (With inputs from PTI)