Form of words:
Agartala:According to Tipra Indigenous People’s Regional Alliance (TIPRA) president Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, the political violence that has rocked Tripura is nothing new, and it is only a continuation of the intimidation that the CPI(M) has taken to power. did during the time. .
“What you see here is just the same kind of violence under different flags and banners,” Debbarma told ThePrint in an interview on Thursday.
“It is for the last 50-60 years. You have seen MLAs being killed; Party workers are being murdered. At one time it was under the guise of communists. Now it is subject to anyone who is in power… I think it is a very sad situation.
Last week, the state was rocked by several incidents of political violence. On 6 September, CPI(M) and BJP workers clash In Dhanpur, where former Chief Minister and Communist leader Manik Sarkar had gone to address an event.
Two days later, the CPI(M) office and the offices of several media organizations were sabotage, allegedly by supporters of the ruling BJP.
This week, Sarkar reached Delhi, where he along with other members of the CPI(M)’s politburo held a press conference against the BJP. Four-time Chief Minister said that BJP changed state to “lab” and established a “one-party, dictatorial, fascist regime”.
In to do an interview WireThe government also said that the CPI(M) has been the target of such violence especially in the state.
But Debbarma said the communists are now at the end of what they have started. He said the CPI(M) had adopted a “culture of political intimidation” during its rule in West Bengal and even in Kerala to some extent.
“Today, they are paying the price at the hands of the BJP, which was once itself a communist or the Congress,” he said. “The BJP has learned this act of intimidation by imitating the communists who did the same thing long ago.”
However, his own party has not been innocent in this cycle of violence.
Back in April, after the declaration of the results of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) elections, there were 25 cases of post-poll violence. Debbarma’s TIPRA, who won 18 of the 28 seats in TTADC, was a member of Motha. trapped In at least 23 such incidents.
Debbarma acknowledged that his workers were involved, but said he had taken action against them.
“Maybe I alone would say that my members have committed violence, and I have taken action against them. I have suspended them,” he said. “I would like to do more. But the other side also has to take some reciprocal action and nobody is doing it.”
TIPRA Motha in 2023 election
TIPRA Motha’s victory in the TTADC elections was a major setback for the BJP-IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura) alliance, which is also in power in the state. The Left Front and Congress performed worse, failing to win a single seat.
Responding to a question about the implications of this victory on the upcoming 2023 Assembly elections that his party is set to contest, Debbarma said, “It is not just tribal votes. Muslim votes are; Hindustani voter Bengali vote. So I would say that at present we are the only political party with established vote bank in Tripura.
He said the party would continue to press for a separate state of Greater Tipperland for the tribals of Tripura. He said he would consider forging an alliance with any party, be it the Trinamool Congress or the BJP, as long as they accept the demand for Greater Tipperland “in writing”.
In another significant move, the Asom Jatiya Parishad and TIPRA also shook hands Last week announced the creation of a platform for political cooperation and for regional parties in the Northeast.
Debbarma said the idea was to ensure that specific issues of the region get proper representation in Delhi. “What is happening right now is that the leadership of Delhi decides that it has to be done in the Northeast like the Citizenship Amendment Act says. Then they call a leader, who comes here to handle the situation,” he said.
He cited the Citizenship Amendment Act, for which, according to Debbarma, the Center had personally “pacified” states like Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. inner line permit.
“These states and its political leaders need to realize that we are today. But if we are not safe, tomorrow they will be the next frontier.”
‘Congress needs introspection’
son of Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishor, three-time Congress MP, and Maharani Bhibu Kumari Devi, one-time MP and minister, Debbarma quit the Congress in 2019 after falling out with the high command over the CAA issue.
According to him, the party had asked him not to protest on the issue.
“I had a point of view and the party leadership did not support my view. They wanted to balance things, which they have done with Captain Sahab (Amarinder Singh), Sidhu (Navjot Singh), Rosaiah (Konijeti), Jagan (Mohan Reddy) and Chiranjeevi everywhere. So they probably backed the wrong horse and didn’t expect me to get out,” he said.
He said the Congress needs to decide who will be the chief and introspect as to why the leaders are going to the ground.
According to Debbarma, the party has behaved step-motherly towards the Northeast. “In this fight between two national parties (BJP and Congress), there is a third place. And the third place is right here in the Northeast,” he said. “And we will make up our mind on those who come and speak on the strategic economic and security, security aspects of our region.”
(Edited by Arun Prashant)
Read also: Anti-CM wave, Trinamool expansion, Pradyot Deb Burman: BJP needs to worry a lot in Tripura
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