Agartala, March 8: Union government would soon appoint an interlocutor to study and resolve the demands of the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) within three months, the tribal based party supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said here on Wednesday after meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The TMP, after capturing the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in April 2021, has been demanding elevation of the areas of the autonomous body by granting a ‘Greater Tipraland State’ or a separate state under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
Deb Barman said that Shah has assured that, like in Nagaland, the government will appoint an interlocutor to study and resolve the demands of the TMP within three months.
“If we find satisfactory constitutional solutions to our demands then we would sign an accord with the central government. Unless and until our demands resolve, we would not join the BJP led government,” TMP chief and former royal scion told the media after more than two hour long meeting with Shah.
In the all important meeting, besides Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, all 13 MLAs and senior leaders of the TMP among others were present.
Later, Deb Barman tweeted: “The Home Minister has started the process for a constitutional solution for the indigenous people of Tripura. An interlocutor for this process will be appointed and this will be within a specific time frame. I thank the Home Minister for understanding the genuine problems of the Son of the soil. We successfully got our Bru people (Reang tribals) rehabilitation in our state after 23 years by signing the Bru accord and today we have started a huge dialogue to ensure that our survival and existence are protected. Issues such as alliance and cabinet were never discussed only the interest of our dopha (demands) was discussed.”
After the Wednesday’s swearing-in-ceremony of the Chief Minister Manik Saha led nine-member council of ministers, three ministerial berths remained vacant as the BJP has been approaching the TMP to join the BJP-led government.
After the significant meeting, BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Tripura Chief Minister would hold a series of meetings with the TMP, BJP ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura and all concerned NGOs to identify the loopholes and issues and to undertake a holistic approach for the upliftment of the tribals.
In Wednesday’s meeting, where Union Home Minister, BJP national president Nadda, Tripura CM were present, it was decided that considering the International Women’s Day on Wednesday, two tribal women leaders – Jayanti Debbarma (IPFT) and Patal Kanya Debbarma (BJP) – would be appointed in a board or PSU with the Minister of State rank.
Both Jayanti Debbarma and Patal Kanya Debbarma unsuccessfully contested the February 16 assembly polls.
Meanwhile, the TMP, which played a very significant role in the February 16 Tripura assembly polls emerging as the second single largest party, secured 13 of the 20 vital tribal reserved seats.
In the 60-member Tripura Assembly, 20 seats are reserved for the tribals and these are very crucial to dominate the electoral politics of Tripura.
In the polls, the BJP won 32 seats, including six seats reserved for the tribals while its ally IPFT got one.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 36 seats, including 10 tribal reserved seats and its ally IPTF bagged eight tribal reserved seats while the CPI (M) had secured 16 seats including two tribal reserved seats.
In the February elections, the CPI (M) won 11 seats but none of the tribal reserved seats though the Left party has a strong base among the tribals since 1952.
