Thousands of tribals today shouted slogans for a separate state of Tipraland during an annual event organised by the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a partner of the ruling BJP in Tripura.
The IPFT today observed the '10th Tipraland Demand Day' at Khumulwng, headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), and said it would not veer away from its core statehood agenda.
State Revenue Minister and IPFT president Narendra Chandra Debbarma addressed a massive gathering at Khumulwng Academy Grounds, about 30 km from Agartala, and said Tipraland is indigenous peoples' core demand.
"One needs land, bricks, sand, cement to build a building. Similarly for Tipraland, we need to go through a step-by-step process. We are now a recognised state party. Our supporters are also larger in number. We shall continue our struggle for statehood," IPFT general secretary and Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia said.
Leaders of different statehood movements including Bodoland, Karbi Anglong and the National Federation of New States (NFNS) also joined the event to pledge support.
However, the BJP has been opposing the demand for Tipraland.
"We want one and united Tripura. We do not subscribe to the demand of separate state in Tripura," Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who is also the state president of BJP, has reiterated on many occasions.
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