Greater Tipraland, Tipra Motha or Tripura is the main ideological demand of the Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance. Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma says that ‘Greater Tipraland’ will be a separate state from the existing Tripura state.
Let us know what is this Greater Tipraland? Who is Pradyot Debbarma? What is the relationship between Greater Tipraland and Tipra Motha?
What is Greater Tipraland?
Greater Tipraland, Tipra Motha or Tripura is the core ideological demand of the Swadeshi Progressive Regional Alliance. The party released a vision document last week, saying it would create a new state for the 19 indigenous tribes of Tripura under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. Tipra claims it will expand beyond the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas to include many other villages where Tripura’s natives live in large numbers. Apart from this, the party also talks about setting up a task force. According to Tipra leader and TTAADC president Jagdish Debbarma, Motha will form a task force to assist in the development of Tiprasas (natives of Tripura) living in other regions of the country and the world.
Who is Pradyot Debbarma?
Pradyot Debbarma is the head of the royal family of Tripura. He is the son of Kirit Bikram Kishore Debbarma, the 185th and King of Tripura and Maharani Bibhu Kumari Devi. Pradyot has studied in Shillong. His father Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Debbarma has been a three-time Lok Sabha MP and his mother Maharani Bibhu Kumari Devi a two-time MLA. Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma says that, ‘Greater Tipraland’ will be a separate state from the existing Tripura state. The new ethnic homeland would be primarily for the indigenous communities of the region who had become a minority in their own region due to the migration of Bengalis from East Bengal to India during Partition.
What is the Relationship Between Greater Tipraland and Tipra Motha?
Behind the demand for Greater Tipraland is the state’s regional party, Tipra Motha, which has also raised the issue in the assembly elections. Let me tell you, after separating from Congress in 2019, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma formed a separate party demanding ‘Greater Tipraland’. It was named Tipra Motha. The TTAADC election result did the job of giving oxygen to this demand. In fact, in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections held in April 2021, Tipra Motha won 18 out of 28 seats on the demand of ‘Greater Tipraland’ in a direct contest with the ruling BJP-IPFT alliance.