Agartala: Oct 27. At the closing session of the Council of Tiprasa Hoda, the apex body of the Tiprasa community, held on Sunday afternoon, Royal Scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma called for unity among the indigenous people and demanded land, dignity, and educational rights for the community, asserting that these are “basic” and long overdue.
Addressing the closing session, Bubagra Pradyot Manikya said the Tiprasa community has been deprived of fundamental rights because of its lack of political unity and understanding of power. “Tiprasa still doesn’t know how to do politics. That’s why today we don’t have rights over our land,” he remarked, urging his people to protect their Samajpatis, culture, and identity.
Citing examples from other autonomous regions in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram he questioned why the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) does not have the power to issue land pattas to its own people. “In the Bodoland Territorial Council or Karbi Anglong, the District Magistrate doesn’t issue pattas. The council has the power to issue them whether it’s “Jot land” or ‘Khas land’— the authority rests with their own people. In Meghalaya too, the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills have such powers,” he said. “But in Tripura, our TTAADC still lacks the right to issue pattas to the sons of the soil.”
He appealed to the Council of Tiprasa Hoda and the Samajpatis to prioritise the fight for land rights over symbolic gestures. “What will we do with a Rs 5,000 honorarium if our people don’t have land rights?” he questioned.
Pradyot also raised concerns over the absence of Tiprasa priests in the Maa Tripura Sundari Temple, which was built by the royal family, and the limited opportunity for Tiprasa pujaris in the Fourteen Goddess Temple in Kalyanpur. Quoting State Adivasi Congress Chairman Sabda Kumar Jamatia, he said that while these issues are discussed during elections, “in reality, no one wants to raise them once elections are over.”
The royal scion lamented that Tripura’s historical monuments– Neer Mahal, Ujjayanta Palace, and the old Rajbari — have been turned into tourist sites, while “the real history of Tiprasas remains unseen and unacknowledged.”
“We are only demanding the basic things such as land rights, dignity, and educational rights,” Bubagra Pradyot said, urging his community to build unity not only in politics but also in social life. He appreciated the role of the Council of Hoda in preserving traditional institutions and called for stronger collaboration between social and political fronts.
Addressing the long-standing demand for ‘Tipraland’, raised by the IPFT, he explained, “Since the monarchy ended and democracy began, for the last 76 years, Tiprasa people have carried pain in their hearts. You can’t relieve that pain with money or facilities. This pain will remain over what will happen to the next generation?”
He also urged the youth to abandon violent paths and focus on education and dialogue. “I don’t want to see violence; I want to see a pen in the hands of every Tiprasa. Violence will not lead to anything. Engage in debates and dialogues instead,” he appealed.
He also reminded that during bandhs, hartals, and clashes, “only the common people suffer not the sons of ministers or the rich. The poor are both Tiprasa and Bengali, whether they’re Christian, Hindu, or Muslim.”
Taking a veiled dig at his critics, he said, “Those who are now against me were once against Shyama Charan Tripura, N.C. Debbarma, Nagendra Jamatia, Drao Kumar Reang, and even Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya none of whom were communal. We don’t need certificates from them; our poor Tiprasa people need blessings.”
Concluding his speech, Bubagra Pradyot reiterated his dream of a “Shrestha Tripura”, a prosperous and united state where Tiprasas can live with pride and opportunity. “If we are not united in the name of politics, democracy and remain divided, the future of our children will be finished,” he warned, stressing that true progress can only come through unity and compassion.
