Twipra Students Federation (TSF) urges political parties to field indigenous candidates in all 28 seats of the Tripura Autonomous District Council elections, emphasizing Sixth Schedule protections, tribal representation, and preservation of indigenous rights, culture, and land in Tripura’s tribal areas.
The Twipra Students Federation (TSF) has renewed its call for political parties to nominate indigenous candidates in all constituencies of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in the upcoming elections. The student organization argues that indigenous representation is essential for protecting the interests, culture, and land rights of tribal communities living in the autonomous district.
Addressing a press conference at the **Agartala Press Club on Saturday, TSF Vice President John Debbarma urged all political parties to prioritize indigenous candidates across the council’s 28 seats, including the three constituencies classified as general seats.
Debbarma emphasized that the autonomy granted to tribal areas under the **Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India ensures protection for tribal land, customs, and cultural heritage. The provisions of **Article 244(2) of the Constitution of India and Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India form the constitutional foundation for autonomous district councils in the Northeast, including Tripura’s ADC.
According to TSF leaders, these constitutional safeguards were designed to empower indigenous communities by allowing them to govern local affairs through institutions that understand their unique social and economic challenges.
“Indigenous representatives are more closely connected to the day-to-day realities faced by tribal communities,” Debbarma stated during the press conference. “From land protection issues to cultural preservation and development challenges, these matters require leaders who share the same lived experiences as the people they represent.”
The TSF also raised concerns regarding the candidate list announced by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) for the upcoming council elections. Debbarma specifically pointed to constituencies such as Mana Chailengta, where non-indigenous candidates have reportedly been nominated.
He questioned whether such candidates would be able to effectively connect with voters in areas where the majority population belongs to tribal communities. “The concern is not about exclusion,” Debbarma clarified. “It is about ensuring that representatives have a deep understanding of the issues affecting indigenous societies.”
The TSF leadership stressed that the organization holds no hostility toward non-tribal communities living in Tripura. Instead, its appeal is based on the belief that indigenous leaders can more effectively represent tribal concerns and work toward addressing the region’s socio-economic challenges.
In addition to urging CPI-M to reconsider its candidate list, TSF called upon other major political parties — including the Indian National Congress, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), Tipra Motha Party, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — to prioritize indigenous candidates across all constituencies.
Political observers note that the issue of tribal representation has remained a sensitive and important aspect of Tripura’s political landscape. With a significant portion of the state’s tribal population residing within the jurisdiction of the autonomous district council, the upcoming election is expected to attract intense political attention.
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As campaigning gradually begins, TSF leaders say they will continue advocating for stronger indigenous representation, arguing that the spirit of the Sixth Schedule can only be upheld if tribal communities are directly represented in the institutions meant to safeguard their rights.
