Agartala: A controversy over the royal-era Pushpabanta Palace in Tripura has exposed the strains in the relations between ruling allies BJP and its junior partner in the coalition, Tipra Motha Party.
The turbulence between the allies, ahead of the politically crucial Village Committee elections and amidst the talks over the much-celebrated “Tiprasa Accord,” stems from the state government’s proposed plan to convert Pushpabanta Palace into a five-star luxury hotel.
The palace, built by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Debbarman, hosted Nobel laureate Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore during his last visit to Tripura in 1926. According to historians, Rabindranath Tagore’s two plays, Visarjan and Mukut, are heavily inspired by the internal politics of the Tripura royal family and the religious reforms that the Manikya kings brought about during their rule.
After the merger of Tripura, the iconic palace was used as the official residence of the Governors of the state, while the royal courtyard of Ujjayanta Palace, which is just one kilometre away, became the state assembly. Over time, the assembly, secretariat, and Governor’s house were shifted to the New Capital Complex, and the Ujjayanta Palace was converted into the state museum. Since then, Pushpabanta Palace was left vacant.
In 2022, President of India Draupadi Murmu laid the foundation stone for setting up a digital museum in Pushpabanta Palace, which was supposed to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state. The then Finance Minister of Tripura, Jishnu Dev Varma (now Telangana Governor), allocated ₹40 crore for the project, which was welcomed by almost all sections of society. However, due to unforeseen reasons, the project was shelved and never discussed again.
On November 27, 2024, TSF (Twipra Students’ Federation), an independent student body, first raised the alarm over the state government’s plan to invite a private party to take over the heritage building. According to the TSF activists, the Taj Group has, in principle, agreed to convert the heritage building into a five-star luxury hotel. The move later gained traction with Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman joining forces with the students’ body.
In a video message, the Tipra Motha Party founder and present royal head of the state said, “If the government doesn’t review its decision on the matter, I will raise my voice and oppose it. I also urge people who know the history of the state to stand against this decision. I am not against development, but some things are beyond money and business.”
Sharing the history of Pushpabanta Palace, he said, “Maharani gave up the old palace for the accommodation of the Governor free of cost. At that point in time, an agreement was signed. Later, when the Raj Bhavan was moved from here, it was decided that a public library in memory of Maharaja Birendra Kishore Debbarman would be set up here. But now I came to know that this palace will be converted into a five-star hotel. A government can’t go for profit on everything.”
Stating that the decision was unilateral, Debbarman said, “The government took the decision without any consultation with the stakeholders. All major sites of Tripuri culture no longer exist. Many historic places had been renamed, and now the handful of historical structures that are still standing rock solid are being handed over for profit-making. I am not against development, but everything doesn’t stand for profit.”
On November 29, activists of the TISF (Tipra Indigenous Students’ Federation), the student arm of the Tipra Motha Party, held a mass deputation and protest rally at Agartala city. Some MLAs of the party were also seen encouraging the students during the rally.
Speaking on the issue, TISF in-charge James Debbarma said, “Today, on behalf of TISF, we have organised a peaceful rally and mass deputation to oppose the recent decision to demolish Pushpabanta Palace and construct a five-star hotel.”
According to him, development is important, and his organisation is not against development. “Development should not take place at the cost of our own historical monuments. This is why we are here; the sentiments of the people will be hurt if a luxury hotel comes up at a historical site.”
Tipra Motha Party MLA Pathan Lal Jamatia said, “We have learned from internal sources that the palace is being handed over to a private party. For the last 35 years, the Left Front played politics with the historical places of the royal regime. The Astable Field had been renamed as Swami Vivekananda Maidan. We are not against Swami Vivekananda, but the heritage sites which bear the history of the state must not get destroyed.”
During the rally, some activists even tried to stage a sit-in demonstration in front of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha’s personal residence, but timely police intervention thwarted the attempt.
The Government of Tripura, however, clarified that, as per the merger agreement, the palace has become a government asset and the rights to repurpose the infrastructure lie with it.
Issuing a clarification on the matter, Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said, “Even as the heritage building was built by the kings of Tripura, as per the merger agreement, it became a government asset. The building was earlier used as the old Raj Bhavan, and now retrofitting works are underway.”
Stating that the government is yet to arrive at a conclusive decision on the matter, he said, “The proposal is under discussion. Nothing has been finalised, and with due respect to the sentiments of people from all sections, I urge everyone to come forward and support the government’s progressive attitude for bringing investments.”
Justifying the government’s move, the Minister further added, “There are several places which have historical importance but are now being used as marriage banquet halls. And, so far as I know, the merger agreement didn’t make any specific obligation regarding this building. The old assembly house, which used to be the royal palace and court of the Maharaja, has been converted into the state museum as per the proposal. It is a fact that initially, the plan was to set up a digital museum in Pushpabanta Palace, but since we have a full-fledged museum, the government took a decision to repurpose the sprawling building.”
The Minister also maintained that the government had no intentions to hurt the sentiments of anyone and urged everyone to stand by the government for development. Many of the Tipra Motha critics within the BJP described the protests and mass deputation as a violation of the Tiprasa Accord. The accord had been displayed as a document of promise which would eventually usher in a new era of development and progress for the tribal population of the state.
The one-page agreement paper, in its third paragraph, categorically said, “In order to maintain a conducive atmosphere for the implementation of this Agreement, all stakeholders shall refrain from resorting to any form of agitation/protest during this period starting from the day of signing.”
The signatories who gave their assent to the terms and conditions of the accord are Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma (the founder of Tipra Motha Party), BK Hrangkhawl (President of the party), and Animesh Debbarma (a senior-most MLA of the party who was later inducted into Dr. Manik Saha’s state cabinet).
Despite the breach of the agreement, the ruling BJP’s response to the matter seems to be lukewarm, perhaps because the party doesn’t want to disturb the ally on which it is dependent for the VC elections.
No one from the BJP had passed any official statement on the matter till the filing of this story.
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