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Journalism of Courage
A fortnight after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met TIPRA Motha party chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma in Agartala to discuss his demand for constitutional solution for tribals of Tripura, Pradyot said Thursday that Shah called him in the morning to assure him that the Centre will appoint an “interlocutor” by March 27 for talks on the issue.
Taking to Twitter, Pradyot stated: “Woke up to an early morning call from the hon home minister @AmitShah to enquire about my health. He also categorically assured me that by the 27th of this month an interlocutor will be announced for our talks regarding the constitutional solution for our indigenous people of tripura. I hope the home minister will understand the sentiments of the tiprasa (Tripuri tribals) and honour the commitment he has given to me.”
Shah’s call to Pradyot assumes political significance as it came in the midst of the TIPRA Motha’s increasing proximity with the Opposition CPI(M)- Congress alliance. It also came a day before the newly-constituted Tripura Assembly is slated to elect the Speaker, which may witness a keen contest between the ruling BJP-led coalition and the Opposition camp.
In the elections to the 60-member state Assembly, the incumbent BJP retained power by bagging 32 seats while its partner IPFT won 1 seat. The TIPRA Motha emerged as the principal Opposition party with 13 seats, with the CPI(M) and the Congress getting 11 and 3 seats respectively.
The BJP’s tally however dipped to 31 as Union minister for social empowerment and justice Pratima Bhoumik resigned from her Dhanpur Assembly constituency to retain her Lok Sabha seat shortly after senior BJP MLA Binoy Bhushan Das was sworn in as the Assembly Protem Speaker on March 15.
The TIPRA Motha has extended its support to the joint CPI(M)-Congress candidate, senior Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy, for the Speaker’s post. This was announced by state Congress chief and MLA Birajit Sinha Monday.
Shah’s call to Pradyot seems to be a move to take him on board and wean the TIPRA Motha away from the Opposition camp, but Motha insiders say a mere appointment of interlocutor for starting the process of talks over the party’s demand for constitutional solution for tribals would not be enough for it to join the BJP-led coalition government as Pradyot would wait for its final outcome.
Earlier this month, after his legislators were sworn in, Pradyot said the TIPRA Motha would play the role of a “constructive and responsible” Opposition along with other Opposition parties, the CPI(M) and Congress,
in the Assembly till its core demand on a constitutional solution is met by the BJP dispensation.
However, the key questions about the TIPRA Motha’s final stand on the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections or the coming Dhanpur bypoll
are yet to be answered, with observers holding that Shah’s call to Pradyot clearly reflects the BJP’s bid to step up its overtures to his party.
The TIPRA Motha party was founded by Pradyot, the scion of Tripura’s erstwhile ruling family, in 2021 with the call for “Greater Tipraland” state. But the nature of its core demand has since undergone quite a few changes. The discussions between Pradyot and Shah over his demands had ended on an inconclusive note before the February Assembly elections.
Since no party offered Pradyot a written agreement on his core demand of Greater Tipraland or constitutional solution, the TIPRA Motha made its debut in the elections on its own steam, but still won 13 of 42 seats it contested.
