IPFT reiterates demand for separate statehood amidst 'positive talks' on Tiprasa Accord

Agartala, Dec 4: With the Tiprasa Accord signed between Centre and Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (Tipra) moving forward on a positive note, another BJP ally in Tripura has reiterated its demand for separate statehood with the 6th Schedule areas on Wednesday.

Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), a party that coined the demand of Tipraland in the year 2009, held a massive gathering in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) headquarters on December 4, reiterating its demand for a separate state under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

“The main ideological demand of IPFT is not hidden from anyone. Our party, since its formation, have raised the demand of a separate state covering the land mass that comes under the jurisdiction of TTAADC,” said Prem Kumar Reang, former minister and working president of IPFT.

Reang further added that apart from the separate state demand, the party is also demanding fulfilment of the promises made earlier.

“When the first BJP-IPFT government came to power in 2018, a resolution was passed in Tripura Assembly to convert TTAADC into Tripura Territorial Council with more number of seats and maximum power. We also want the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill to be passed as early as possible,” he added.

Notably, IPFT, which had seven MLAs in the state assembly after the 2018 assembly elections, has its support base eroded with the rise of Tipra Motha. Tipra Motha’s demand for Greater Tipraland struck a chord with the voters in general and IPFT’s entire vote bank shifted to the Pradyot Kishore Debbarman-founded party, lock stock and barrel.

The party contested in several seats as a pre-poll seat sharing arrangement with the BJP but it could only win one seat. The only MLA from IPTF, Shukla Charan Noatia was inducted in CM Dr Manik Saha-led Tripura cabinet as a minister of cooperation and welfare of minorities.

With Tipra joining forces with the ruling coalition led by BJP, rivalry between IPFT and Tipra concluded on a friendly note with both the parties now sharing power with the common big partner–BJP.

Meanwhile, Debbarman and leaders of Tipra Motha participated in the second round of talks for the Tiprasa Accord signed earlier this year, on Tuesday.

Speaking to press in Delhi, Debbarman said, “The talks are moving ahead positively. Issues such as establishment of a central university, more power to the ADC and addressal of funding constraints had been discussed in detail. Apart from that, the timeline for the third round of talk was also decided.”

Perhaps, the third meeting is going to fall sometime in the last leg of January or the first week of February, he pointed out.

Debbarman also kept hopes alive over a positive development regarding the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which is directly linked with the development of areas protected under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.