Former Chief Minister and CPIM Politburo member Manik Sarkar on Monday criticized the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) for neglecting the day-to-day problems of indigenous communities in Tripura. Speaking at the 51st death anniversary of Dhananjoy Tripura, a martyr of the Kokborok language movement, Sarkar accused TMP of remaining silent on critical issues such as deteriorating infrastructure, poor road conditions, and livelihood challenges faced by people in remote areas of the state.
Sarkar highlighted the dire situation of healthcare in rural areas, stating, “The hospitals are facing severe financial crises. On-duty doctors are reluctant to admit new patients due to a shortage of resources. Ambulances are running out of fuel, and there is an inadequate supply of medicines, needles, and bandages. As a result, patients are being forced to buy essential items from the open market for treatment.”
He also pointed out that essential issues like road connectivity, water supply, irrigation, electricity, and livelihood should be top priorities, but the ruling party of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) has failed to address them. Sarkar criticized TMP’s recent plenary session in Agartala, saying, “The supreme leader of the party did not mention these crucial issues in his speech. The TTAADC administration under his leadership is even struggling to pay salaries on time.”
Accusing TMP of facilitating the BJP’s return to power in 2023, Sarkar said, “From the beginning, Tipra Motha Party maintained a tacit understanding with the BJP. While publicly opposing the BJP, their backdoor deal was evident when they fielded candidates in 22 general seats out of the 20 reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The objective was to ensure BJP’s majority.”
On the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, Sarkar expressed his support, stating, “We fully support the Bill as it advocates more autonomy for the TTAADC and direct funding from the Centre. However, passing the Bill does not mean that all problems of tribal people will be resolved.”
Other senior CPIM leaders also addressed the gathering, and Leader of Opposition Jitendra Choudhuri paid tribute to Dhananjoy Tripura at Jolaibari.
