Manik Sarkar kicks off campaign for Tripura ADC elections

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Sunday kicked off the campaign for the crucial election on May 3 to elect 28 members Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Addressing a public rally in TTAADC headquarter Khumlung, about 15 kilometres from south-east of Agartala, Mr Sarkar gave a clarion call to vote for left front candidates in the council for maintaining peace and development.
He promised that the left front is committed for allround development of tribals.
The party is also contemplating for empowerment of TTAADC within the constitutional framework, the Politburo member said.
TTAADC is the creation of second left front government in 1983 against a number of odds.
In the following years, the council has been functioning with highest sense of democracy barring five years during the chaotic rule of opposition.
This time also opposition Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) voiced slogan to divide Tripura on ethnic line, which is nothing but an instigation to create unrest, Mr Sarkar said.
The Chief Minister added that the creation of ADC was the product of a long and arduous struggle, led by the Left Front and joined by the state tribal and non-tribal people together. Among other things, the ADC was also to bridging the ethnic and economic divide between the two major communities of Tripura.
Accusing the opposition, he alleged, When Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) led by Debarata Kalai who is now in Congress usurped the ADC with the help of the NLFT  guns.Mr Sarkar accused former DIG of Assam Rifles in Tripura Brigadier B K Panwar for destabilising CPI(M) in ADC in May 2000 ADC election and added “It had unleashed an unbridled reign of corruption and nepotism in ADC.During those days, INPT also went so far as to pamper the NLFT extremists and misused the ADC funds for fostering extremism in the state, he alleged.
Reacting to the demand of IPFT in ensuing ADC poll for elevation of tribal council to a separate state for tribal, Mr Sarkar called the commoners to protest such move both in polling and their daily activities to maintain peace and tranquility for future generations. (UNI)