Agartala, Feb 5: Tipra Motha founder and royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma will be personally present during the demarcation exercise scheduled for Friday at Bishramganj (Lenglama Hati), amid an ongoing dispute over the alleged inclusion of TTAADC village areas into the newly notified Bishramganj Nagar Panchayat jurisdiction.
The announcement was made by Pradyot on the occasion of Tipra Motha Party’s (TMP) foundation day during a Facebook Live on Thursday. He stated that he would attend the demarcation process around 11 a.m., not as the leader of TMP but as a Tiprasa, to show solidarity with the indigenous people and to ensure that no illegal activities take place.
The demarcation will be carried out in the presence of Sepahijala District Magistrate Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal, along with senior officials from the district administration, revenue department and TTAADC. Leaders of Tipra Motha, including MLAs, MDCs, social workers and local stakeholders, are also expected to be present.
Raising serious concerns, Pradyot alleged that a conspiracy is underway to weaken TTAADC areas under the guise of industrial zones and development projects. He asserted that the issue concerns land, identity and the rights of indigenous people and, therefore, transcends party politics.
He warned that this was not an isolated incident, claiming that land belonging to indigenous communities is being systematically taken away in the name of development.
Pradyot further alleged that similar activities are being undertaken by NHIDCL in Panisagar and said that Bishramganj (Lenglama Hati), which falls under the Charilam (ST) Assembly constituency, is now facing the same issue. He cautioned that if such practices continue, a time may come when there will be no TTAADC left.
Appealing to the public, Pradyot said that issues such as the Roman script for Kokborok and land encroachment are far bigger than political parties. He warned that overlooking these issues for personal or political interests would lead to irreversible loss of land rights.
The controversy follows the state government’s notification creating the Bishramganj (Lenglama Hati) Nagar Panchayat, which has triggered widespread opposition. Local residents and indigenous groups have raised objections, alleging encroachment into Sixth Schedule TTAADC-reserved areas, particularly ADC village committee jurisdictions.
Reiterating his stand, Pradyot said the issue goes beyond party politics and concerns the land, identity and constitutional rights of Tripura’s indigenous people. He vowed to closely monitor the demarcation process to safeguard those interests.
