Tripura: Pradyot Manikya claims CAA won't apply to 6th schedule areas in Northeast

TIPRA Motha Chief, Pradyut Kishore Manikya Debbarma, announced on May 19 that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not be implemented in Sixth Schedule areas of the Northeast, including Tripura, following assurances from home ministry officials. 

Spoken to the officials at the home ministry and they assured that not only in tripura but in all the 6th schedule areas of Northeast no CAA can or will be implemented as per law . Some people are trying to mislead our Indiginous youth by saying that CAA will allow illegal 1/3

— Pradyot_Tripura (@PradyotManikya) May 19, 2024

Debbarma emphasized that the law cannot and will not be enforced in these regions, aiming to quell fears among indigenous communities about potential legal status being granted to illegal immigrants.

Debbarma conveyed that home ministry officials assured him that the CAA will not affect Sixth Schedule areas, which are regions with special administrative status to protect indigenous communities.

The TIPRA Motha Chief accused certain individuals of spreading misinformation to mislead indigenous youth into believing that CAA would allow illegal immigrants to gain legal status in Autonomous District Council (ADC) areas.

Debbarma urged the government to clarify its stance on the issue to prevent panic and address propaganda from political entities aiming to exploit the situation for vote bank politics.

He highlighted that the indigenous Tiprasa community became a minority following the merger of their state and insisted that no illegal entrant should be legalized in Sixth Schedule areas.

The statement included a call for the state government to actively address and dispel the misinformation being spread about the CAA.

Debbarma's remarks come amid ongoing debates and protests concerning the CAA, which seeks to provide a path to citizenship for non-Muslim minorities from neighboring countries. The TIPRA Motha Chief's declaration aims to reassure indigenous populations in the Northeast that their rights and demographics will be protected under existing legal frameworks.

The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for autonomous administrative divisions in certain tribal areas of the Northeast, aiming to preserve their culture and governance structures. The CAA, passed in 2019, has been controversial due to concerns about its implications for demographic changes in sensitive regions like the Northeast.