Will NPP, TMP, and Other NE Regional Parties Unite for Indigenous Causes?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi/Agartala, Nov 3 (NationPress) The National People's Party (NPP), headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, and the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, are poised to collaborate with various regional parties and tribal leaders to champion the rights of the indigenous communities in the northeast region.
A TMP representative in Agartala mentioned that the NPP and TMP leaders, alongside Mmhonlumo Kikon, a former BJP national spokesperson and Nagaland Minister, and Daniel Langthasa, founder of the People’s Party in Assam’s Dima Hasao, along with other prominent figures from Nagaland, Manipur, and other Northeastern states, are anticipated to unite on this new platform.
Currently, both the NPP and TMP are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition.
In a notable political turn, TMP leader Debbarma highlighted the importance of regional solidarity in the Northeast after participating in the swearing-in of the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam on October 5.
Debbarma, a former royal family member from Tripura, was present at the oath-taking of Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) President Hagrama Mohilary, who took office as the CEM of the BTC in Kokrajhar district.
However, it remains uncertain if the BPF will join this new coalition.
The TMP leader conveyed that “NPP chief Sangma, TMP head Debbarma, and other leaders will address the media at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Tuesday to outline their future plans and objectives.”
Following intense discussions and the signing of a tripartite agreement on March 2 last year, the then-opposition TMP, which boasts 13 MLAs, aligned with the BJP-led coalition government on March 7, 2024, significantly altering Tripura’s political dynamics. Two TMP MLAs—Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma—were subsequently integrated into the Cabinet led by Chief Minister Manik Saha.
The TMP and its affiliated organizations have been consistently organizing protests in Tripura to advocate for their demands, including the execution of the tripartite accord and the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants.
On September 9, the party also conducted a demonstration in Delhi to highlight these demands.
Since 2021, the TMP has been governing the influential Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which encompasses nearly two-thirds of the state’s 10,491 sq km area and is inhabited by over 12.16 lakh individuals, with approximately 84 percent being tribals.
In recent months, the relationship between the ruling BJP and the TMP has been tumultuous.
TMP activists have reportedly injured over 20 BJP members and workers in a series of attacks across various districts.
The Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS), associated with the TMP and led by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, observed a 24-hour statewide shutdown on October 23 in support of its eight-point charter of demands, which includes the deportation of illegal migrants.
During the shutdown, some TMP activists were alleged to have assaulted individuals and officials at Santirbazar in Dhalai district, resulting in severe injuries to more than a dozen people.
Among the injured are Salema Block Development Officer (BDO) Abhijit Majumdar, Kamalpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Samudra Debbarma, engineer Animesh Saha, and trader Subrata Paul, all of whom required hospitalization due to critical injuries.
With elections approaching for the politically significant TTAADC early next year, both the BJP and TMP are striving to broaden their reach among tribal communities.