The IPFT, ally of Tripura’s ruling BJP, will join the NFNS protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on December 15 demanding Tipraland statehood and urging Parliament to pass the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019, to upgrade TTAADC to Tipra Territorial Council.
The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a key ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Tripura government, has announced that it will participate in a major protest in New Delhi on December 15 to press for the long-pending demand for Tipraland, a separate state for the indigenous population of Tripura. The protest is being organised by the National Federation of New States (NFNS) at Jantar Mantar during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The announcement was made on Tuesday following a meeting of the IPFT’s Central Executive Committee. At a press conference held in Agartala, IPFT Vice President Pradip Debbarma stated that the party is preparing to send more than 100 representatives to join the demonstration in the national capital. Delegates from several NFNS units across the northeastern states are also expected to participate, signalling a coordinated push for various statehood and autonomy movements in the region.
Debbarma emphasised that the IPFT will use the Delhi platform to reiterate its demand for the elevation of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) into a more powerful autonomous structure, to be known as the Tipra Territorial Council (TTC). This proposal requires the passage of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019, which seeks to grant expanded administrative, financial, and legislative powers to tribal autonomous councils in the Northeast.
According to Debbarma, the Tripura Legislative Assembly’s Council of Ministers had earlier recommended the strengthening of the TTAADC by upgrading it into the TTC. However, the bill remains pending in Parliament, and the IPFT leadership believes the ongoing parliamentary session offers a crucial opportunity to push for its passage.
Addressing reporters at the same press meet, IPFT General Secretary Swapan Debbarma said that the party’s divisional committees have already been instructed to nominate three members each who will represent their respective units at the protest in Delhi. These representatives will travel alongside other selected delegates, forming a substantial contingent from Tripura.
To streamline logistics, the party leadership has directed delegates to coordinate with the IPFT treasurer and the treasurer of the Youth IPFT for railway ticket arrangements. The party is also making provisions for accommodation, communication, and organisational support once the delegation reaches Delhi.
Swapan Debbarma added that the IPFT remains committed to its core promise of safeguarding the political rights, cultural identity, and administrative autonomy of Tripura’s indigenous communities. Although the party is part of the ruling alliance with the BJP, the leadership maintains that its participation in the new protest is consistent with its founding principles and policy objectives.
The IPFT has long been advocating the creation of Tipraland— a separate state carved out of areas under the TTAADC— as a solution to what it describes as historical injustices and demographic challenges faced by the indigenous population. While the BJP-IPFT alliance came to power in Tripura in 2018 with promises of addressing tribal concerns, the demand for statehood has remained unresolved.
Political observers note that the IPFT’s decision to join the Delhi protest indicates renewed momentum within the statehood movement. With multiple regional organisations across the Northeast pressing for similar demands— such as Bodoland, Garoland, and Frontier Nagaland— the December 15 protest is expected to draw national attention.
The party leadership expressed hope that the central government will take “positive and decisive” steps regarding the 125th Constitutional Amendment during the Winter Session. They also highlighted that the proposed upgrade of the TTAADC would not only empower tribal governance but also promote socio-economic development in remote and marginalised areas of Tripura.
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As preparations intensify, the IPFT expects a strong and disciplined mobilisation of supporters and delegates. The leadership reaffirmed that the protest will be peaceful and democratic but firm in its approach to securing long-awaited constitutional recognition and enhanced autonomy for Tripura’s indigenous communities.
