Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Debbarma.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Agartala: Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura, will submit a deputation to Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu demanding speedy implementation of the Tiprasa Accord.
The TMP signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2, 2024, to address the issues faced by the state's indigenous people.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, TMP supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said, "We had a meeting with party leaders and frontal organisations today and decided to give a deputation to Reddy through Block Development Officers (BDOs) on November 14 for the speedy implementation of the Tiprasa Accord." The first meeting on the Tiprasa Accord was held in Delhi on September 21, where it was agreed that follow-up meetings would take place every two months to advance the agreement.
However, Debbarma emphasised that there is no clear timeline for the implementation of the accord, similar to the Naga peace talks or the TNV (Tripura National Volunteers) accords.
He said, "I will continue to negotiate with the Centre for the rights of the indigenous people. If the government of India accepts 90 per cent of our demands, we will leave the remaining 10 per cent. We are fighting for the rights of indigenous people but not at the expense of others. We demand 25 seats to be reserved for the indigenous people out of 60-member Assembly." The TMP supremo also reiterated the party's call for the immediate passage of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which has been pending for several years. "All political parties—BJP, Congress, and CPI(M)—want the immediate passage of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill to protect the rights of indigenous people. I don’t know why the amendment is stuck. The indigenous people have already waited long enough," Debbarma said.
Regarding his recent meeting with Chief Minister Manik Saha, Debbarma pointed out that the Chief Minister can only express his views but cannot pass the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill. "It is Parliament that must take up and pass the bill," he said.