All options open if talks fail on Greater Tipraland issue: TIPRA Motha Chief Pradyot Kishore

“We have said that we are not interested in anything other than a constitutional solution for our Greater Tipraland… First, give our community something, give Tiprasa (Tripuri tribal) something. After that we shall discuss who will sit in the government or not,” he said.

Hinting that he would not mind having a tie-up with Opposition parties if things do not work out with the BJP, Pradyot said, “If our demand is not met, we have all options open… and we have placed this in front of them. Tiprasa people have been suffering for 70 years and we have given a commitment to them and we shall not sit in government without fulfilling the commitment. Our core demand is the formation of Greater Tipraland within the Constitution. The Roman script is our prime issue. The home minister knows about it.”

He also said the issue of appointing an interlocutor for examining the problems purportedly faced by tribals of the state was discussed and added that Shah admitted the interlocutor process got delayed owing to violence in Manipur.

Indicating that the issue of Motha joining the ruling BJP alliance in the state was discussed with Home Minister Shah, Pradyot said, “I do not want to talk about it anymore. I shall not make the same mistake as IPFT by sitting in the government. They sat in the government in 2018 without talking about our people, they became ministers and we did not get anything for five years.”

Speaking about the uniform civil code (UCC), the TIPRA Motha chief said, “If it is women’s issue, their security issue then they should be given protection… On crime against women, equal laws should be there.”

Debbarma also said that the customary law of tribals in the Northeast should be preserved.

Meanwhile, Pradyot Kishore also reacted to former Tripura tribal affairs minister and BJP legislator Rampada Jamatia’s statement that the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of indigenous people should be cancelled if they convert.

“We are already a minority in our own state and now you want to divide us further in the name of religion? Religion should be personal, community has to be permanent! Also Bikash debbarma and Sukla are practising Christian ministers in the govt maybe they should also have the courage to clear their position on this issue . As a Practicing Hindu I disagree with Rampada,” Pradyot wrote on his social media page.