Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), ruling partner of the BJP will hold a demonstration in New Delhi on August 23 next demanding separate ‘Tipraland’
The IPFT will organize the demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the separate state for the tribals.
Swapan Debbarma, IPFT General Secretary said during the day-long demonstration, they would give a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah once again about their demand of upgrading the TTAADC as a separate statehood as per Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
The IPFT had been demanding ‘Tipraland’ or a separate state for the tribals by upgrading the TTAADC, which encompassed over two-thirds of the Tripura’s total area with over 12,16,000 people, of which about 84 per cent are tribals
He said that the main purpose for which the TTAADC was constituted in 1982 was yet to be fulfilled in the past several decades.
Formed in the 1990s, the tribal-based party IPFT was floated with the purpose of forming ‘Tipraland’ for the indigenous tribals.
The party underwent several splits with its many leaders to join other parties including the Tipra Motha Party (TMP).
It forged an alliance with the BJP and the coalition came to power in March 2018 assembly polls defeating the CPI (M)-led Left Front after 25 years.
The TMP, which is now governing the TTAADC and also another ally of the BJP, has also been demanding its demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’ (a separate state for the tribals) under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
The ruling BJP, opposition CPI-M, and the Congress have been opposing the demands of both the IPFT and TMP.
Earlier in 2021, the IPFT along with TMP held demonstrations at Jantar Mantar to press the Centre for a separate state for the tribals.
The IPFT’s lone MLA Sukla Charan Noatia is now a Cabinet minister of the Chief Minister Manik Saha-led coalition government.
After signing a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2, the opposition TMP joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7 and two of its MLAs – Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma – became ministers.
The BJP along with IPFT and the TMP together fought the recent Lok Sabha elections in Tripura.
