Guwahati: Tipra Motha Party (TMP) founder and chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Sunday issued a clear warning that his party would contest the upcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections independently if the Tiprasa Accord remains unimplemented.
Speaking to reporters, Debbarma reacted sharply to Chief Minister Manik Saha’s recent assertion that the BJP would win all 28 seats of the tribal council. He said such statements left little room for ambiguity and reiterated that TMP would not mislead the indigenous population by remaining silent on the accord. “If the Tiprasa Accord is not enforced, we will go to the elections alone. I cannot betray my people,” he said.
The TMP chief asserted that the Union government is ready to implement the agreement but alleged that some state leaders are obstructing its execution.
Debbarma also reaffirmed the party’s firm stand on the script of Kokborok, the primary language of Tripura’s tribal communities. He made it clear that TMP would not yield on the issue, stressing that the decision rests solely with the Tiprasa people. Drawing a historical parallel with attempts to impose Urdu in erstwhile East Pakistan, he warned against external interference. “The Centre and the state must respect indigenous sentiments. No one can dictate the Kokborok script to us. This is our internal matter, and our position will not change,” he stated.
Commenting on the prevailing unrest in Bangladesh, Debbarma urged both the Centre and the Tripura government to adopt a well-defined policy for the Northeast. He expressed concern over the growing influence of fundamentalist elements across the border and alleged persecution of minorities, particularly indigenous communities. He also warned that radical groups were threatening to provide shelter to anti-India forces. “A nationalist party cannot remain a silent spectator in such a volatile situation,” he said.
The TMP chief’s remarks come despite his party being an ally of the BJP. The party signed the Tiprasa Accord with the Centre and the Tripura government in March 2024, aimed at the overall development of indigenous people.
In the previous TTAADC elections held in 2021, the BJP suffered a defeat at the hands of TMP, which had then emerged as a newly formed regional political force.
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