Lok Sabha passes bill to include Tripura’s Darlong community in Scheduled Tribes list

The move comes months after Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb sought from the Centre to include this tribal community as a sub-tribe of the Kukis in official documents.

Speaking to indianexpress.com on Monday evening, Tripura Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said the decision to include Darlongs in the list of Scheduled Tribes is a reflection of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas—the motto of BJP-led central government. “The central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for the development of everyone. This decision is a direct reflection of it,” he said.

Rebati Tripura, who represents East Tripura in the Lok Sabha, thanked PM Modi and Union tribal welfare minister Munda in Parliament for the move. “Today is a historic day for the Darlong community because Parliament passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022,” the parliamentarian said.

Darlong is a tribal community of Tripura, which has a population of 11,000. Despite its small population, the community has a high prevalence of education and cultural activities and members of the community serve in senior positions in the local administration. For example, tribal musicologist and Rosem (a tribal instrument) maestro Thanga Darlong was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri a few years ago for his contributions to culture.

Tripura has 19 tribal communities, people of which live in The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council formed on January 18, 1982. The tribal council covers nearly 70 per cent of the total area of Tripura and houses roughly 30 per cent of the state’s population. A large majority of them still depend on slash and burn cultivation and traditional livelihood for sustenance.

The tribal communities of the state include Tripuri or Debbarma, Reangs or Brus, Jamatia, Noatia, Uchoi, Chakma, Mog, Lushai, Kuki, Munda, Kour, Oram, Santhal, Bhul, Bhutia, Chaimar or Sermai, Garo, Khasi, Lepcha and Halam. The Halam community has several small tribal clans within it. Many of these are linguistically endangered groups like Bongcher, Karbongs etc.