Tripura party to hold sit-in in Delhi seeking more autonomy for tribals

Agartala, Dec 1

Tripuras influential tribal-based party -- Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) -- will hold a two-day sit-in demonstration in Delhi on December 5-6 to press its demand for greater autonomy for the tribals.

TIPRA supremo and former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said on Thursday that over 1,500 party leaders and workers would leave by train on Friday to attend the two-day sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

TIPRA, which is now governing the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), has been agitating for Greater Tipraland' to achieve more autonomy and political power for the tribals, who constitute one-third of Tripura's four million population.

"We had organised a similar two-day sit-in in Delhi in November last year. Like previous occasions, this time too we would submit a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to accept our Greater Tipraland' demand," Deb Barman told IANS.

He said TIPRA would continue to organise various programmes and peaceful agitations in support of its demand.

In a Facebook post, Deb Barman said : "Thousands of indigenous Tiprasas from all parts of the state (and country) will be travelling to Delhi to compel the decision-makers in the power corridors of the national capital to listen to our lawful and constitutional demand. Let's show the true spirit and power of Thansa."

Months ahead of the Assembly polls in Tripura, TIPRA held a mega rally in Agartala on November 12.

Defeating the BJP, CPI-M and Congress, TIPRA last year wrested power in the politically-important TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-third of Tripura's 10,491 sq km area and is home to over 12,16,000 people, of which around 84 per cent are tribals, making the 30-member autonomous body a mini-assembly in Tripura which has an Assembly strength of 60.

Political pundits predict that TIPRA would play a crucial role in the Assembly elections in Tripura, expected to be held in February next year.