Gana Mukti Parishad accuses BJP–TIPRA Motha alliance of betraying indigenous interests, flags corruption and stalled Tiprasa Accord.
With less than two months remaining for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, the CPI(M)’s tribal wing, the Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP), on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally TIPRA Motha, accusing both of deceiving indigenous communities and failing to deliver on key commitments.
Addressing a press conference at the CPI(M) state headquarters in Agartala, senior GMP leaders, including former TTAADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Radha Charan Debbarma and former ministers Naresh Jamatia and Pranab Debbarma, declared that the Left Front would consider the BJP its “main political enemy” and TIPRA Motha a “secondary enemy” in the forthcoming ADC polls.
Describing the BJP as a “fascist force,” GMP general secretary Radha Charan Debbarma alleged that the ruling party had systematically weakened the autonomy of the ADC and financially crippled it by withholding funds.
“Corruption is rampant in the ADC today. Council land is being leased out or forcibly occupied by elected representatives in exchange for money and handed over to private parties. The development achieved during the Left Front’s tenure is being dismantled,” Debbarma alleged.
The GMP leaders also questioned the logic behind the continued BJP–TIPRA Motha alliance, stating that despite public disagreements on major issues such as funding, the Roman script for Kokborok, and implementation of the Tiprasa Accord, both parties continue to remain in power.
“They attack each other publicly, yet stay together in government. People want to know what fear or compulsion is forcing this alliance to survive,” Debbarma said, hinting that pressure from central agencies could be a factor.
On TIPRA Motha’s key political promises, including Greater Tipraland and the Tiprasa Accord, GMP termed them “symbolic gestures” with no concrete outcomes. Former minister Naresh Jamatia pointed out that the Accord was to be implemented within six months but has shown little progress on the ground.
“If BJP is blocking funds, rejecting the Roman script, and delaying the Accord, why does TIPRA Motha continue to support the government?” Jamatia asked.
The GMP also raised concerns over the Kokborok script controversy, accusing the BJP government of imposing unilateral decisions. Debbarma said the Left Front had earlier allowed both Roman and Bengali scripts, while the present dispensation was attempting to enforce a single script, fuelling unrest.
Former minister Pranab Debbarma blamed Chief Minister Manik Saha for aggravating the issue by ruling out the Roman script publicly.
On the issue of financial autonomy, the GMP demanded direct constitutional funding for the TTAADC and supported the 125th Constitutional Amendment with additional safeguards to ensure direct access to central schemes and budgetary allocations.
The press conference followed the two-day 23rd state conference of the GMP held at Agartala Town Hall, during which new organisational bodies were constituted. Naresh Jamatia was elected president, while Radha Charan Debbarma and Pranab Debbarma were appointed general secretaries. A 25-member executive council and a 139-member state committee were also formed.
Signalling an aggressive campaign ahead of the ADC elections, the GMP announced a 10-point charter of demands and warned of statewide agitations to expose what it described as the “betrayal of indigenous aspirations” by the BJP–TIPRA Motha alliance.
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