Agartala: In a major political development, Chairman of Tripura’s principal opposition party TIPRA Motha Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman has stepped down from the supreme post of the party, leaving the responsibility on the party president Bijay Kumar Hrangkhwal.
Pradyot Debbarma, a scion of the Tripura princely family, said through a social media post that he would no longer be the chairman of the party but will remain an “ordinary party member and warrior”.
The development came after the party successfully conducted its first plenary session at TTAADC headquarters in Khumulwng, bringing significant changes in the party’s constitution.
Not only Debbarman vacated the post after serving two years as the chairman, the post itself ceased to exist according to the new constitution that came into effect on Sunday. As per the new constitution, the president will lead the party and the appointment of the party president would be made through a state conference.
For the time being, incumbent president Bijay Kumar Hrangkhwal would continue to serve as the party president, while Debbarman would continue his service to the party as an ordinary member.
In the statement, he said, “As my two-year term as the chairman of the TIPRA Motha Party comes to an end, I am no longer seeking reappointment, and as per our amended constitution, the president shall be the supreme steering post in the party. Hon’ble B K Hrangkhawl will continue to lead the party as the president of TIPRA Motha, and I will now be serving the party as a party member and a warrior!”
“I thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to serve the party and the community. I don’t believe in family politics; hence, no member of my family will be taking any post in the organisation. Let’s work for the movement and not individual positions,” he said.
Addressing the party delegates at the Khumulwng on his valedictory speech, Debbarman advised the party leaders to organise plenary sessions in all the zonals of the TTAADC.
He said, “I will not leave my people. I am always here. Now the onus is upon you to organise such sessions in all the zonals. I am giving a commitment that I shall remain present in all the meetings. I will also donate money from my pocket to build party offices in all the zonals. I will give five lakh rupees from my pocket for each of the party offices and hope all of you will also donate for the construction.”
He also urged his party supporters to get rid of the internal bickering of the party in order to streamline the organisation and neutralise the discontent within.
He said, “An obvious attempt is being made to break the unity of our party. The MLAs and MDCs are being offered money. At the local level, people had been lured to join the ruling party to access benefits like MGNREGA work, jobs and what not. In the last couple of months, I have seen photographs of joining in different parts of the state. Those who want to leave us, we can’t stop them but I want to remind everyone that this attitude will be detrimental to the demand of Greater Tipraland.”
Lashing out at the syndicate Raj and contractor culture that mushroomed in the TTAADC administration of late, Debbarman said, “Our first priority should be to eradicate corruption from this area. Contractors of Tiprasa community are deceiving their own people. This is not Tiprasa culture; you have just learnt such corrupt practices from Agartala.”
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Drawing an analogy of Greater Tipraland demand with delimitation in Assam, Debbarman said delimitation in Assam happened because the Assam Chief Minister made up his mind that only an Assamese should become the Chief Minister of Assam. “Now what is the difference with Greater Tipraland demand with that? The standpoint of our demand is that the future of our community is protected in the future. Whenever Tiprasa raises a demand it gets discredited in the mainstream discourse but if the idea comes from someone else, it is touted to be great. This is the discrimination we have been subjected to,” he pointed out.
Asserting that the Tipra Motha is neither with the BJP-led NDA nor the Congress-headed UPA, he urged the party leaders to put pressure on the Centre to achieve Greater Tipraland.
Conveying a message to the Muslim voters of the state, he said, “The Muslim voters of this state have voted for Congress and CPIM time and again but after the elections none of the leaders of these parties stood beside you. I want to tell you all, please don’t misunderstand us any longer and help us to help you. TIPRA Citizenship Federation should shoulder the responsibility of reaching out to the Muslim voters. In the next elections TCF should get at least two seats.”
In the TTAADC election held in April 2021, Tipra Motha bagged 18 of the 28 seats that went to polls and the ruling BJP is in the opposition in the Council.
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