Agartala: Ever since Pradyot Kishore Debbarman-led TIPRA became the main opposition party to the BJP following TIPRA’s commanding win in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, ‘Thansa’, the Kokborok word which translates to ‘unity’ has gained popularity in Tripura.
And now, other parties are also trying to foster ‘Thansa’ among rivals.
On Tuesday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) Tripura State Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury made an intriguing statement using the particular word ‘Thansa’ for democratic forces active in the state.
Chowdhury appealed to the people associated with the movement of Greater Tipraland, explaining his reservations towards demands like “Greater Tipraland” and “Tipraland.”
Chowdhury appealed to all the democratic forces of the state to come under the same roof to wage a collective battle against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) combined.
“Once upon a time, the call of sovereign Tripura rocked the hill regions of the state, but with time, it fell flat. Similar was the fate of the Tipraland movement that founded the IPFT as a base to negotiate and come to power. Today the slogan has changed, but the spirit of the demand remained the same. People who are associated with the movement are not wrong. They also want the progress of indigenous people, but given the constitutional framework and geographical condition of the state, the creation of a separate state is impossible. Let us unite and work for what is possible,” said Chowdhury, addressing a gathering organised to mark World Indigenous Day at Agartala on Tuesday evening.
He said, “The real ‘Thansa’ is possible when all democratic forces unite to raise our voices together. The Modi government has sent the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill to cold storage. The Kokborok language is not being included in the eighth schedule,” he added.
“These problems need immediate solutions. If the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill is passed, the maximum problems faced in the district council areas will be resolved with new funding patterns and improved financial autonomy,” he said.
Chowdhury further added that all political forces should raise their voices to put pressure on the Centre.
“If all speak in the same language, the Central government can never ignore us,” he pointed out. He also appealed to the newly-elected President of India, Droupadi Murmu to consider the issues of indigenous people with sincerity and seriousness.
“We congratulate her on being elected as the President of India. But we shall also raise our demands before her as she is well aware of the plight of indigenous people of the country,” he said.
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