Agartala, Tripura, June 7 (HBTV): The founder of the Tipra Motha Party Pradyot Kishore Debbarman has urged the central government to completely stop illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
Speaking at the Tipra Women Federation's foundation day program, Debbarman emphasized the need to address past failures in implementing agreements related to tribal rights and their protection.
Debbarman, a royal scion of Tripura, said previous accords including the historic Tipra accord and agreements with groups were not fully implemented. This led to the tribal majority becoming a minority in Tripura.
"This time, Tipra Motha has signed an agreement with the center, and we must ensure past mistakes are not repeated," Debbarman stated.
Debbarman also urged the central government to reconsider the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state. He said to be fighting a case in the Supreme Court against the CAA, arguing that the legislation threatens the indigenous people of Tripura. He criticized both the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for using the law to manipulate their vote banks.
‘For CPIM, people from all religions should get citizenship in Tripura. The BJP objects to Muslims crossing the borders and settling here. My point is that Tripura has given settlement to enough people, and now it is time to think about our own people,’ Debbarman said.
Debbarman also demanded the passage of the 125th constitutional amendment bill, which guarantees direct funding and protection of land rights for tribal communities. This is a crucial part of the agreement with the central government, he remarked.
Further, Debbarman addressed the series of defeats faced by the BJP and its allies in the tribal states of the North East. He emphasized the need for the government to understand the insecurities of tribal societies.
"The tribal states are not happy with the policies of the BJP. The government of India should ensure land rights and protection from illegal immigrants for us," he said.