Correspondent
AGARTALA, Feb 20: Ahead of the crucial election to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has announced an alliance with TIPRA Motha, a platform of regional parties, for the ensuing polls.
Tripura’s royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya, who floated the TIPRA Motha for welfare and development of the indigenous community, has been striving for unity among the tribal-based parties of the State.
However, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), another tribal party, is yet to officially join the TIPRA Motha.
NC Debbarma, prominent tribal leader and IPFT president, officially declared the alliance with the TIPRA Motha at a press conference here last night.
“Our party has been struggling for Statehood since its formation in 2009. We are committed to attaining Constitutional and democratic rights for the indigenous people,” he stressed.
Praising Manikya for striving for unity among the indigenous people to fulfil their aspirations, Debbarma said that the party had held several rounds of talks with the TIPRA Motha chief on the alliance before inking the pre-poll pact.
On his part, Manikya said that around 95 per cent regional political parties have joined the TIPRA Motha for the cause of Tipraland or Greater Tipraland. “Doors are still open for those parties which have not responded to the unity call. Greater Tipraland is the only solution to the problems of the indigenous people,” he maintained.
Manikya further stated that there would be a mega rally at Khumulwng on February 24 to showcase public support for Greater Tipraland.
Earlier, Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia, who is the general secretary of the IPFT, said: “We have been fighting for Tipraland for long years. Now Manikya has espoused the cause of Greater Tipraland. We will fight the elections together till the demand for Tipraland or Greater Tipraland is attained.”
Tribal leaders Ananta Debbarma, Buddu Debbarma and Mangal Debbarma were present at the press conference.