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Journalism of Courage
The TIPRA Motha party Sunday launched the TIPRA Citizens Federation platform for like-minded people cutting across ethnic, linguistic, and religious lines.
Making the announcement, the TIPRA Motha said it was not just a tribal regional party but a movement for ‘Greater Tipraland’. The party added that it also seeks to address issues affecting the non-tribal population, especially backward communities.
The Federation, headed by former MLA Tapas De, said it would work to represent, include and facilitate the participation of people from all sections of society in the highest levels of decision-making of the Motha.
Speaking to reporters in Agartala, TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said his party fielded a non-tribal candidate in the Surma Assembly by-poll held this year and would also nominate a lot of non-tribal candidates including those from backward communities, Muslims, and tea garden workers in the forthcoming Assembly election.
The development is significant since the TIPRA Motha party’s stated goal is to create Greater Tipraland, a proposed separate state for tribals.
The party is mostly active in the tribal areas, especially in the 20 Assembly seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
Clarifying his party’s stand, Pradyot Kishore said: “TIPRA Motha was never a regional party… We shall give chance to people from every backward community who want a Constitutional solution. We want young leaders whose names haven’t been tarnished. We want to bring a fresh approach. Those who betrayed their community and kept their communities backward will get a shock in the next elections.”
He said Motha will foray beyond the 20 ST seats and contest between 50-55 seats in the Assembly polls. Debbarma said his party would try to win over 30 seats on its own, indicating that it was looking to secure a single-party majority in the 60-member House.
Pradyot Kishore added that his party will not form any alliance without a “clear-cut agreement” on Greater Tipraland (GT).
“We shall not betray our people on the demand of GT and Constitutional solutions. We don’t need to ally with anyone without any clear agreement. We shall try to win over 30 seats on our own and form the government…” Pradyot Kishore said.
