Tripura party calls bandh to protest against amendment in Citizenship Act

From A

Correspondent

Agartala, Dec 29 : The proposed amendment of the citizenship act that is already a hot issue in Assam is getting its echo in Tripura too as the Indigenous People’s Front of Twipra, a tribal based regiol party, has decided to give a bandh call in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council on February 8 to protest against it.

They also decided to organise a 7-day sit in demonstration from February 25 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to draw the attention of the central leaders. Over two hundred party workers will participate in the demonstration.

N C Debbarma, president of the IPFT said the demography of the state has undergone a massive change since independence due to large scale influx of refugees from the then East Pakistan turning the trials minority in their own state. If the proposed amendment comes into effect to give citizenship to the Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan that may open the flood gate once again and the indigenous people of the state will be the

worst affected. He said the party has already launched a campaign throughout the state to apprise the indigenous people about the likely adverse impact the proposed amendment may have on their existence and livelihood.

IPFT is currently the domiting opposition political force among the tribals in Tripura and demanding a separate state comprising the areas of the TTAADC. ‘It is our core demand and our struggle to get it will continue’, he said.