IPFT to hold demonstration in Delhi for 'Tipraland'

The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura, an ally of Tripuras ruling BJP, would stage a demonstration in Delhi on December 2 to press for their five point charter of demands including a separate state of 'Tipraland' for the tribals, a party leader said on Wednesday. IPFT assistant general secretary and convener of the Tipraland demand committee, Mangal Debbarma said party leaders would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss their charter of demands.

"Around 500 IPFT members including ministers and MLAs would stage a demonstration in front of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 2. Our main demand is 'Tipraland'- a separate state for the indigenous people living in the state. We propose that the new state be formed by carving out of the TTAADC areas", Debbarma told PTI.

The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) constitutes two-third of the state's territory and is home to the tribals, who constitute one-third of the state's population. The other demands of the party include empowerment of the TTAADC by amending the sixth schedule of the constitution, proper repatriation of the 35,000 displaced Brus from neighbouring Mizoram now sheltered in six rehabilitation camps for the last 22 years, smooth and peaceful conduct of the 28- member tribal council election due next year.

"We would start our journey to New Delhi on November 28 and will stage protest rally and sit-in demonstration on December 2. The Centres decision to split Jammu and Kashmir implies that the present government is not against forming new states", Debbarma said. The IPFT formed an alliance with the BJP before the Assembly elections held in February last year. The party has two ministers in the Biplab Kumar Deb ministry and eight legislators in the 60-member state Assembly. The BJP has 36 MLAs.

"We met Union Home Minister Amit Shaha on July 14 last in Delhi and we thought that our demands would be fulfilled, but nothing was done", he said. A 10-member delegation of the party led by state Forest minister and IPFT General Secretary, Mevar Kumar Jamatiya met Shaha in Delhi on July 14 last and submitted a memorandum demanding demarcation of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.

He said the Central government had already decided to elevate the status of the tribal council into a territorial council for its empowerment. "But, we are yet to know how the elevated tribal council would be empowered, what more rights and funds would it receive. This point would figure in our discussion during our meeting with Shah", he said.

Debbarma claimed that a high-level committee was formed by MHA just before the February 2018 Assembly elections to formulate ways to develop the tribal council areas in the state. "Now, the time has come to find out what the committee has studied and when development will actually start", he added..

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