Agartala: The revival of the Tipraland State Party (TSP), a former constituent of the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA), is likely to create challenges for the umbrella organization.
TSP which was the first to demand a separate state for the tribal people of Tripura, merged with TIPRA Motha and several other small parties to help Pradyot Kishore Debbarma form a strong opposition to the BJP in the hilly areas of the state.
Former TSP supremo Chittaranjan Debbarma is now an MLA from Ambassa, the headquarters of Tripura’s Dhalai district. On September 08, 2023, some leaders who once served in TSP and later moved to TIPRA arranged a meeting at Agartala to revive the “dead organization” separately.
The party formed a coordination committee under the stewardship of Sridam Debbarma, a veteran tribal leader who started his politics with the Congress party. Dinesh Debbarma, another senior leader who worked extensively in TIPRA Motha also joined the organization.
Speaking on the issue, Dinesh Debbarma confided to EastMojo that TIPRA Motha had turned into a radar less ship that has lost its direction.
“We have snapped our ties with TIPRA Motha because we could sense that the party has diluted its core agenda of a separate state. The leaders, MLAs and MDCs of the party keep meeting leaders of BJP as well as CPIM. They keep changing their political stance time and again which has resulted in massive erosion of the party’s support base”, Debbarma claimed.
He also alleged that even after TIPRA Motha became the second largest party in the state, the party failed to adopt a constitution according to which the organisational hierarchy could function.
“Suddenly, the post of Chairman was abolished. There is no central executive where we, the leaders who are concerned about the political developments of the state, can report to or discuss the party’s future. Only a handful of people are managing everything themselves. The situation has turned worse that rather than the MLAs, MDCs, block and district level leaders the party does not have any dedicated worker on ground”, Debbarma had said.
According to Debbarma, all the elected MDCs of the TIPRA Motha in TTAADC are actually affiliated to TSP as TIPRA Moth was not recognized by the Election Commission of India when TTAADC polls were conducted.
“We shall issue notices to all the elected MDCs of the ruling side. They have to follow the party rules otherwise they would have to resign from their posts. TSP is an old organization that has been recognized by the Election Commission as a state party. During TTAADC elections, Motha candidates fought elections on TSP ticket. Ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, TIPRA Motha was recognized by the ECI. Now, we shall issue notices to all the MDCs who officially belong to our party”, Debbarma asserted.
Meanwhile, TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman who had led the party during the elections downplayed the statements made by TSP leaders calling them “Uneducated”. Debbarman claimed, on the other hand, accused both Dinesh Debbarma and Sridam Debbarma of being inactive in the party soon after they were denied tickets in the assembly elections.
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“Sridam wanted a ticket from Ramchandraghat but he did not get the ticket from the party. After that he became totally inactive in the party. In that sense I was also denied ticket in the assembly elections. Did I quit the political movement that I had started? In democracy, everyone is allowed to desert a party to join another. I wish to not engage in any verbal spate with them”, he told reporters soon after reaching Agartala on Friday.
Describing his party as a result of a mass movement, Debbarman said, “We are not here to do politics. For us our community is more important than the party. It is not easy to fight for the constitutional rights of people in spite of being in the opposition bench. Floating a party is a much easier task but to work for the people is very tough. Tell them to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discuss the issues faced by the people our community. You all should speak in one language. Setting own house on fire will only help the rivals who don’t want our progress”.
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