Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Royal scion, TTAADC member and TIPRA Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Thursday called for unity among the Tiprasas on a 19-point charter of demands and to fight in the upcoming 2023 elections for ‘Greater Tipraland’.

Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on Thursday observed the 113th birth anniversary of the popular Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Deb Burman in a befitting manner at Khumulwng. Bubagra Pradyot Kishore Debbarman and his mother Rajmata Bibhu Kumari Devi, chairman Jagadish Debbarma and executive member Animesh Debbarma were present in the program.

Speaking at the programme, Bubagra Pradyot said “TIPRA Motha will form a ‘Greater Tipraland’ by fighting alone in the upcoming elections”. He urged the indigenous youths to come forward as it would not be possible to make it successful without the participation of the youths.

It was also decided to form a foundation in the name of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur on Thursday. The foundation’s money will be spent on improving the socio-economic status of the tribes, he said. During the tenure of Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya, 25 acres of land was handed over to the then government in Tripura for the construction of the state’s top referral hospital i.e. GB Hospital. But the Tripura government did not put the name of the hospital or sign of the Maharaja anywhere else, said Pradyot expressing his dissatisfaction with this action of the government.

Speaking at the programme, former MP and Rajmata Bibhu Kumari Devi said “Only a corruption-free and transparent administration can fulfill the hopes of the people. Bir Bikram and Kirit Vikram Manikya Bahadur have always worked for the welfare of the people through corruption-free administration”.

She said “After the statewide riots in 1980, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi formed the ADC to protect the tribes. According to the agreement of TNV, the number of seats in the assembly was increased from 17 to 20 for the tribes. But no seat in the city or towns of the state was reserved for the tribes”. She said assembly seats in different cities including Agartala, Krishnanagar and Ramnagar have not been reserved for the tribes even today.