ILP Demand in Tripura Reaches Fever-Pitch ahead of Ensuing Tribal Council Polls

Agartala, March 12, 2020:

Demand of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the TTAADC areas of Tripura continues to intensify with all the major indigenous regional political parties including IPFT, the ruling ally in the BJP-IPFT government, seeking ILP for "protection" of the indigenous communities.

As the tribal council of the state is scheduled to go to polls on May, the ADC areas are witnessing a steady shift of political motives with most of the parties speaking along the same lines.

The signs are ominous for the BJP as the indigenous parties which have already proved their power in the anti-CAA protests may come under a united front to capture power in the ensuing polls.

Veteran indigenous leader and IPFT supremo NC DebBarma said that their party want ILP to be implemented here in Tripura in order to curb the population influx.

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“We want ILP. The Inner Line Permit will largely benefit the people residing in the sixth schedule areas. This provision if incorporated as per the law will restrict the movement of outsiders in the scheduled areas. It will also prove beneficial for the tribal interest as influx of non-tribes in the sixth schedule areas will also come under a monitoring system”, Debbarma said today.

On being asked on any pre-poll arrangement with the BJP ahead of the ADC polls, he maintained a conspicuous silence and refused to pass any comment on the issue.

Jagadish Debbarma, General Secretary of INPT, the oldest indigenous party of the state, said that they have been voicing for implementation ILP since their party come into being. “We are asking for ILP since long. The demand of ILP is not new for Tripura and even before formation of INPT when we were members of TUJS (Tripura Upajati Juba Samity), we are demanding ILP”, he said. Justifying his demands, he said the ILP provision will put a complete stop on the illegal infiltration in the TTAADC areas and this is a justified demand as per the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution.

He also told Inside Northeast that they are trying to reach out to every regional political party fighting for the tribal interest to come under a united fold before the ADC poll. “The NCT (National Council of Twipra) has already consented to merge in the INPT. Similarly, we have forwarded proposals to each of the party to come forward and setting aside the differences to set up a progressive alliance,” he said.

Twipraland State Party chief Chittaranjan Debbarma, who has often floated the slogan of separate state, said, “If not Twipraland, ILP should be given at the earliest. This will give us an authority to check illegal influx”. Debbarma also told that they had already formed UPRA(United Progressive Regional Alliance) along with the IPFT-Tipraha faction and opened channels for dialogue with other parties too.

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