CPI-M slams formation of tribal party alliance
Agartala: The non-Left tribal parties in Tripura have formed All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 introduced by BJP led NDA Government.
“Three indigenous political parties have formed the forum to safeguard and protect the interests of the tribals in the state who form one third of the population. We are of the clear opinion that the bill is detrimental to the interest of the indigenous people,” the Convener of the forum, N C Debbarma, who is the President of the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) told reporters on Sunday. ”
After a prolonged discussion among tribal based anti-left parties, the leaders have decided to join hands for spearheading a united movement for the cause of indigenous people,” President of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl said.
Stating that the forum would organize peaceful movement on the issues concerning tribals, Debbarma said, the central government has planned to provide citizenship status to the foreign people, which is against the interest of the tribals. ”
States like Assam and Tripura are facing trouble due to infiltration of foreign nationals. If the bill is passed in the Lok Sabha, lakhs of foreign people will get citizenship status which could be a serious threat to indigenous people,” he added.
Animesh Debbarma, the joint convener of the forum and President of National Council of Tripura (NCT), said the forum would extend all out support to the 12-hour strike on February 8 in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomus District Council (TTAADC) called by INPT.
Meanwhile, a day after three tribal-based political parties in Tripura came together and called for a 12-hour shutdown to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the ruling CPI-M on Monday termed the move a “separatist action”.
“The CPI-M is also opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and supports the Indira-Mujib pact which determined March 24, 1971, as cut off date to detect illegal infiltration into India from Bangladesh,” CPI-M central Committee member Bijan Dhar told reporters on Monday.
Dhar, accompanied by another Communist Party of India-Marxist Central Committee member Gautam Das, said there is no justification to calling a shutdown on the issue.
“The strike was called as a pretext for formation of alliance to destabilise developmental and welfare schemes undertaken for the development of tribals,” said Dhar, also the state Secretary of CPI-M.
“The three tribal-based parties are unhappy that peace has been established in the state and the decades old terrorism has been tamed in Tripura,” he added.
The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the National Conference of Tripura (NCT) on Sunday evening announced the formation of the All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) to oppose the bill introduced by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
The parties also called a 12-hour shutdown on February 8 in the jurisdiction of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) to oppose the proposed bill that aims to recognise the illegal immigrants from across the border.
The TTAADC was formed in 1987 under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect and safeguard the political, economic and cultural interests of the tribals. The politically important council constitutes two third of Tripura’s 10,491 sq. km area.
“If the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is passed in Parliament, the indigenous people in Tripura and other northeastern states would be affected,” ATIRPF convenor Narendra Chandra Debbarma told reporters on Sunday evening.
“Bangladeshi migrants through this proposed law would be settled in eastern and northeastern India depriving the original people of the region of basic rights,” the tribal leader said.
Tribals play a crucial role in Tripura politics as one-third of the 60 assembly seats in the state are reserved for the tribals and one out of two Lok Sabha seats is reserved for the tribals.
The IPFT has been agitating for the creation of a separate state, carved out by upgrading the TTAADC area.
Both the INPT and IPFT have been demanding more power to TTAADC, introduction of inner-line permit in Tripura to protect the tribals, recognition of tribal language Kokborok in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and reservation of 50 per cent seats for the tribals in the 60-member Tripura Assembly. (Agencies)