From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, Nov 3: In a major political shake-up in the NDA-ruled states of the Northeast, National People’s Party (NPP) led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) or Tipra Motha led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, and two other tribal parties from the region will form a new political entity here on Tuesday.
These leaders are also preparing to join hands with several regional leaders and parties from different states to form a single, pan-Northeast political party. The move is aimed at creating a strong, united voice for the people of the region at the national level.
Mmhonlumo Kikon, former Nagaland minister and ex-BJP spokesperson, and Daniel Langthasa, founder of People’s Party, Assam, will join the “new political entity”, sources said. Several other eminent leaders and political parties from different northeastern states are likely to join too, they added.
According to the sources, discussions have been ongoing for some time, and the plan is to bring regional forces together so that the Northeast has one strong platform in Parliament and in state assemblies. The leaders were unanimous that the Centre ruled by whichever party will pay heed to the Northeast only when the issues are raised unitedly by a common front is needed.
The failure of the final implementation of the Naga peace process, continuing ethnic violence in Manipur, and the non-introduction of the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya and Tripura are some of the major failures of the BJP despite being in power in the region and the Centre, they said.
It is expected that TIPRA, led by Debbarma, would merge with the NPP as part of this initiative. The MLAs and members of district councils in Tripura are likely to merge.
The NPP is one of the largest parties in the Northeast and is the only recognised national party in the region. The Tipra Motha is currently the second largest party in the Tripura Assembly with 13 MLAs.
Incidentally, Debbarma campaigned in the recently concluded Bodoland Territorial Council polls for the Bodoland Peoples Front, which came to power by relegating the ruling BJP in the third place. Sangma had campaigned for the Tipra Motha in the Tripura Assembly polls, urging the indigenous communities to join hands, setting aside their differences for a “constitutional solution” for the tribals of the region, encompassing Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
Sangma and Debbarma have been two of the strongest voices for a united Northeast political identity and have been discussing this idea with leaders across different states over the last several months.
“The time has come for us not just as individuals, but as leaders of our respective regions to collaborate and build a common platform for indigenous voices across the Northeast,” Debbarma wrote earlier on his social handle.
“Our challenges are the same – be it illegal immigration, loss of land and identity, political under-representation, corruption, and the erosion of cultural heritage. So, our response must be unified, strategic, and bold. I believe that, together, we can work towards creating a powerful regional movement.”
