Tiprasa youths marching to Delhi on foot to highlight pain of influx into Tripura

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: A 12-member team led by Tipra Motha Party leader David Murasing, as part of its 2,500-km foot march from Agartala to New Delhi, which began on July 5, reached BTR headquarter Kokrajhar on Wednesday and resumed their march on Friday morning.

Kokrajhar MLA Lawrence Islary felicitated the members of the foot march team in Kokrajhar on Friday morning and hoped that the Government of India would listen to their infiltration issue with serious consideration so that their lands get protected from decades-long infiltrators.

The march, titled ‘Historic March to Delhi,’ aims to raise awareness about the long-standing issue of infiltration in Tripura and demand that the Union Government take stringent measures to stop infiltration. The team plans to reach Delhi’s Jantar Mantar where they will submit a blood-signed memorandum seeking justice and constitutional protection for the Tiprasa community urging strong action to stop infiltration.

Murasing, who is also the Zonal Chairman of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) of Birchandramanu in South Tripura, said that infiltration had been a serious issue in Tripura for the last 75 years. He warned that further demographic changes in the state could pose serious challenges for the entire country and described infiltration as a ‘major security threat’ which must be tackled with an iron hand. He also expressed disappointment at the centre’s failure to implement the Tiprasa Accord, signed in March 2014, despite promises of action within six months.

Mevar Kumar Jamatia, former Cabinet Minister of Tripura, who joined the road march in Kokrajhar, while talking to mediapersons here said, “Tipraland is now a laughing stock as it is being administered by Bangladeshi immigrants. Indigenous Tiprasa people got marginalized and outnumbered due to unprecedented infiltrations from Bangladesh over the decades.” He said that they witnessed accords with ATTF, NLFT, and TMP but they failed to fulfil people’s aspirations. He also said that they had lost faith in the commitment of the Government of Tripura after its failure to implement the clauses of the accord and bring development as per people’s expectation and therefore, they started the long road march to New Delhi to register their agony and decades-long pain of infiltration.

Manihar Debbarma, President of Tipra Women’s Federation, said, “Walking on foot to New Delhi covering 2,500 km is not a joke but it is part of our democratic movement to register our demand for protection of Tipraland and constitutional justice. We are now not safe in our own land. We are marginalized and outnumbered with just 25 percent left while Bangladeshis have been occupying lands and political spaces in Tripura to rule us.” Now it’s the Government of India’s responsibility to take action to save Tirasa by properly implementing all clauses of the accord, she said, adding that as a citizen of the country, they needed justice and an end to their decades-long pain.

Debbarma said, “This is the movement of Tiprasa and as we are also the sons of India, we want our due rights. The government must listen to our voice.” She also said that even God listened when someone meditated and thus the Government of India should also listen to their genuine prayers to save Tipraland which is also an integral part of India. She further said that they were shocked that the accords were not yet implemented properly.

Meanwhile, Geeta Debbarma, Secretary of Tipra Women’s Federation, said, “It pains us to say why our sons have been forced to walk to New Delhi on foot for survival in our own land and why India did nothing to save them from foreign aggression.” It’s a move to express agony and pain being faced by the Tipra people at the hands of Bangladeshi immigrants, she added.

The twelve-member team of Tiprasas met leaders of several Bodo organizations to seek support on their issues. Tripura MLA Nandita Debbarma, who came all the way from Agartala, also joined the road march with the team in Kokrajhar.

Also Read: Tripura: Second Round of Tiprasa Accord Talks Scheduled for December 3 in Delhi

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