Seventeen months after he resigned as the Congress state president, Tripura royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya has recently announced his new political demand of ‘Greater Tipraland’.

He claims it would serve the interest of tribals, non-tribals, Tripuri tribals staying outside Tripura.

What is Greater Tipraland?

‘Greater Tipraland’ is essentially an extension of the ruling tribal partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura – IPFT’s demand of Tipraland, which sought a separate state for tribals of Tripura.

• The new demand seeks to include every tribal person living in indigenous area or village outside the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) under the proposed model. 
• This idea doesn’t restrict to simply the Tripura tribal council areas, but seeks to include ‘Tiprasa’ of Tripuris spread across different states of India like Assam, Mizoram etc. 
• It includes even those living in Bandarban, Chittagong, Khagrachari and other bordering areas of neighbouring Bangladesh as well.

Is it similar to Greater Nagalim?

Greater Tipraland is not in any way a rebel subject. The demand is a democratic issue and we shall proceed accordingly.

New-age ethnic politics

Tripura saw turbulent violent struggles by different outlawed insurgent outfits like the Tripura National Volunteers (TNV), United Bengali Liberation Front (UBLF), National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) etc. – all demanding self-determination and sovereignty, albeit on different ethnic and community lines. 

• Pradyot’s new demand of Greater Tipraland is a major step forward after IPFT’s statehood demand.
• However, it’s the latest in the line of his ethnic agitations after ‘Puila Jati Ulo Party’, (first community, then party), a slogan he raised to unite people from both tribal and non-tribal behind ethnic identity in 2019.

 Source: Indian Express