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Journalism of Courage
Twelve days ahead of the Tripura Assembly elections, the ruling TIPRA Motha in the state’s lone tribal council announced its Vision Document on Saturday with the core demand of Greater Tipraland as its major promise and a pledge to complete ‘Mission 15 in 150 Days’.
Announcing the election manifesto at the annexe building of the erstwhile royal family’s Ujjayanta Palace, TIPRA Motha chief and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said the party was fully committed to its core ideological demand of a permanent constitutional solution for the indigenous people of Tripura. He added that the Motha would continue to fight for the rights of tribals until the demand was achieved.
Detailing his party’s poll promises under ‘Mission 15 in 150 Days’, Debbarma said that if voted to power, the TIPRA Motha will introduce a speedy and time-bound public grievance redressal system for citizens by setting up a dedicated unit directly under the Chief Minister’s secretariat. It will empower the Tripura Autonomous District Council (ADC) through increased budgetary allocation; allot sufficient manpower and fulfil long-pending demands of the tribal council administration, and provide land patta allotment to deprived persons. He also promised to create 20,000 new jobs and employment opportunities in the government and private sectors.
The 15 special poll promises also include passing bills to set up world-class centres of education like a tribal university, sports university, agriculture university and Buddhist university; conducting the ADC village committee elections pending since last year; introducing student credit-card scheme for collateral-free education loan up to Rs 5 lakh for graduation and higher studies; introducing 24×7 healthcare facility, ensuring availability of round-the-clock ambulance services in villages, wards and advance emergency medical services in all 58 blocks of the state.
The mission includes promises to set up a centre for innovation and entrepreneurship; formation of a village-level all-women task force to tackle drug trafficking; doorstep delivery of public scheme and service benefits by appointing ‘village and ward-level warriors’; and fulling 10 long-pending demands raised by local MLAs on priority. Debbarma also promised a socio-economic survey of all tribes, sub-tribes, castes and all other communities of the state under the supervision of a dedicated high-level committee; a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Assembly; and a host of ‘Zero Action Plans’ to attain zero poverty, zero hunger, zero violence, zero corruption, zero drugs, zero dropouts from schools and zero deaths due to lack of adequate medical facilities within five years.
The entire Vision Document has 155 promises under 21 major categories.
Significantly, Debbarma said he believed in real ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ – the BJP’s slogan – since he strived for all communities unlike “some parties” who do politics of daari (beard) or “biryani and pulao”. He also claimed to be Congress-minded as he maintained neutrality and did not side with the CPI(M) or the BJP.
Without naming any party, he took potshots at the BJP. “I don’t want to break Tripura. Who is trying to break India in the name of religion? Who kept India poor? Why does a Muslim’s daari (beard) look scary? Who is doing politics in the name of biryani or pulao?”
While he exuded confidence that the TIPRA Motha would win the election, when asked what he would do if the party won a significant number of seats but could not cross the magic figure, Debbarma said, “We shall not sit in the government or support any government till our demand for a constitutional solution is met in writing. We shall rather sit in the Opposition than support any other government.” He said his party would not settle for a few ministerial berths without an understanding on the Motha’s core Greater Tipraland demand.
The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), which allied with BJP in 2018, has become non-existent today, he added.
Debbarma, who is a big fan of soccer and music, said that if his party is voted to power, empanelled sportspersons and musicians would be provided full support through infrastructure. “There is a world outside politics and it will take Tripura’s face ahead in future.”
He said law and order will be reset and tension dispelled, jobs will be provided and a change in culture of politics will be achieved. The royal scion also promised policies to grant LGBTQ rights and said Greater Tipraland would not deprive any communities in the state, nor will it throw out Bengali families living in the ADC areas.
The Maharani Kanchanprabha Devi Women Empowerment Scheme was announced for small-scale micro industries for production of rignai, risa, besides a packaged food awareness campaign through state-run initiatives. On the youth welfare front, he said the Motha will provide 30 per cent subsidy to entrepreneurs who have passed the Class 10 Madhyamik board exams. In healthcare, he said a rehabilitation centre will be set up across the state to combat drugs and AIDS.
On the law-and-order front, Debbarma said the ADC council has already passed the ADC police bill and if voted to power, at least 6,000 police personnel would be recruited afresh in the ADC and 100 PCR vans provided to rein in “mafiagiri”.
Tripura will go to the polls on February 16 and the results will be declared on March 2.
