In a new twist to the ongoing turmoil over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), former state Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee chief and Tripura royal scion Pradyot Manikya Debbarma on December 24 launched a new social organisation, stated to be apolitical – The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA).
“Neither I am intended to launch any political party nor to make any step towards it but I have started TIPRA to fight for our right of land, culture and identity. It is not against any particular party, belief or any community – no one should misunderstand the move. We shall work for protection of our rights but not against anybody,” Pradyot said.
Pradyot reminded his meeting with union home minister Amit Shah last month over the demand of keeping Northeast particularly Tripura from the ambit of the then Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and said despite their strong protest and logical argument for protecting the interest of the indigenous people of the region it was passed in the parliament.
“The whole country is protesting against CAA today and we cannot sit idle where our interest is involved. We shall renew our movement from January 8 next to remembering the police firing on the same day this year when several tribal based parties and organisations were demonstration in Madhabbari of eastern Agartala against CAB and at least six protestors were injured in police firing,” he pointed out.
