Tripura tribal forum formed against Citizenship Bill

 Agartala, Jan 18: With just a year left for the assembly election in Left-ruled Tripura, two tribal-based political parties, Indigenous tiolist Party of Tripura (INPT) and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) have declared the formation of a new forum under the banner of ‘All Tripura Indigenous Regiol Parties Forum (ATIRPF)’ to step up their activities and push their demands.

ATIRPF would organise “Delhi Abhiyan” and called for a strike in the state both in coming month to press their demands to the Central government opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

ATIRPF on February 8 called for a strike in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) area and a six-hour-long sit-in-demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on February 21 press their demand to the Central government.

“The CPIM has commented against us terming our forum as unholy, we protest against it. If the minority microscopic tribal gets united for their development what is illegal in it, why do they hate this unity? If the CPIM dreams that they shall be in power always that is wrong. They should have been welcomed the unitedly fight for the rights of the weak rural tribal section ,” people but they have condemned it. We are very sorry and protest against this,” said Bijoy Hrangkhawl, senior member of the newly formed ATIRPF and former MLA. Meantime, the Tripura unit of the BJP has welcomed the newly formed ATIRPF which basically is a union of non-left tribal parties in the opposition.

Central observer and state in-charge of BJP Sunil Deodhar said: “CPIM had win in election as two tribal parties fought separately. Now they getting together in the long term are uniting of the anti-CPIM forces for us. However, if it is also their view or not we do not know, but from this angle this is good for us. Now if they have any confusion and when it is felt necessity we shall discuss it with them. But we shall not allow the anit-Left forces to get divided.” (ANI)