Tripura tribals to demonstrate for codification of customary laws

From A Correspondent

Agartala, Dec 28 : Codification of tribal customary laws are emerging as a major issue in Tripura as the Jamatia Hoda, the highest body of the second largest tribal clan of the state has given a call for a massive demonstration in front of the head quarter of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council at Khumulung on December 30, Friday.

Rampada Jamatia, a senior leader of the community and former secretary of the Jamatia Hoda said people from different parts of the state will gather at Khumlung at 11 am and then they will submit a memorandum to the Chief Executive Member of the TTAADC Radha Charan Debbarma. He said over 10,000 people across the state will participate in the demonstration. ‘We have invited all the other 19 jajati clans like Debbarma, Reang, Tripura, Koloi, Murasing etc to participate in the demonstration. Jamatia Hoda, four hundred year old highest body of the Jamatias is demanding for last two decades for codification of the customary laws being practised in the society for centuries. It is learnt that the TTAADC has also took an initiative to pass a resolution to give effect to the codification of Jamatia customary laws and it was enlisted to be placed before the council on September 7, 2016. But they had to refrain from it in the last moment due to interference of the rural development minister resh Jamatia. It is learnt that resh Jamatia prevented the TTAADC as the ruling CPI(M) was afraid that it will empower the Jamatia Hoda and the party’s dictates may turn redundant among the members of the community. The proposed demonstration on December 30 is mainly to protest against resh Jamatia’s interference. It may be recalled that Joy Kishor Jamatia, a member of the TTAADC who was recently expelled from CPI(M) for alleged ‘moral turpitude’ had earlier said he was victim of a conspiracy hatched by the minister resh Jamatia. He also cited his protest against resh Jamtia’s interference to stop passing of customary law bill in the TTAADC was one of the major reason of their rift.