TMP demands increase of tribal reserve seats in Tripura

Raising a politically significant issue, ruling BJP’s ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP) demanded to increase the tribal reserved seats from 20 to 25 in the 60-member Tripura assembly even as the tribals constitute one-third of the state’s around four million populations.   

The BJP, opposition CPI-M and the Congress are yet to officially announce their stand on the TMP’s “sensitive” demand, the leaders of the three national parties unofficially termed the demand as “illogical”.

TMP supremo and Tripura’s former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma said that 25 seats out of 60 Tripura assembly seats must be reserved for the tribals and one seat for the Manipuri community.

A top state BJP leader said that they would discuss the TMP’s demand within their party forum.

Out of the total of 60 seats, 10 more seats are reserved for the Scheduled Caste community.

Debbarma also announced that the TMP would organise a statewide mass deputation programme on November 14 in support of their demands, which also included implementation of the tripartite accord signed earlier this year with the Centre and the Tripura governments.

Addressing the memoranda to Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, the deputations would be submitted to all eight District Magistrates, all Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Block Development Officers, the TMP’s founder chief told the media.

The TMP leaders on Sunday held a meeting with all the 13 MLAs, all the members of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and leaders of different blocks, sub-divisions and districts.

As the crucial elections to the 587 Village Committees under TTAADC, are likely to be held within the next two to three months, the tribal-based party TMP is intensifying its pressure on the state government to address the tribal-related issues.

The elections in the Village Committees, equivalent to Gram Panchayats in the non-TTAADC areas, are long overdue.

The TMP leader also demanded inclusion of the eligible voters from among the Reang tribal refugees in the voters lists which would be used in the upcoming Village Committee elections.

After a quadripartite agreement was signed in January 2020 between the Centre, Tripura, and Mizoram governments and the Reang tribal leaders, 37,136 tribal displaced persons from Mizoram resettled in Tripura’s 12 locations under eight districts.

Debbarma also emphasised the urgent need for the implementation of the 125th Amendment of the Constitution, which seeks to empower tribal communities.

“Both the BJP and the opposition parties in Tripura have expressed their support for this critical amendment, yet it remains delayed for reasons unknown,” he stated.

The TMP, which has been governing the politically important TTAADC since April 2021 has also been demanding ‘Greater Tipraland’ (a separate state for the tribals) under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

The ruling BJP, opposition CPI-M, and the Congress have been opposing the demand.

After signing a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2, the opposition TMP joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7 and two of its MLAs - Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma - became ministers.

The BJP along with IPFT and the TMP together fought the recent Lok Sabha elections in Tripura.