Sabroom (South Tripura), September 26: In a powerful display of solidarity, the TIPRA Motha party, a key ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, organized a massive rally on Thursday to condemn the ongoing violence against minorities and indigenous tribals in Bangladesh.
The protest, held in Sabroom, a border town close to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), drew attention to the recent ‘organized attacks’ that have left many tribals dead and hundreds homeless.
Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, the founder of TIPRA Motha and the royal scion of Tripura, led the rally, which was aimed at urging India to take diplomatic action against Bangladesh for its failure to protect minority communities.
Speaking at the event, Debbarma expressed deep concern over the escalating violence, which has been linked to illegal settlers and the Bangladesh Army.
Warning to Bangladesh that ‘history could repeat itself’, Debbarma issued a stark warning, drawing a parallel between the formation of Bangladesh and the current situation.
“Bangladesh was created out of Pakistan, a country that did not safeguard its minorities. If Bangladesh treats its minorities the same way, it could face a similar fate, fragmenting once again. India should not be held responsible for this, as Bangladesh will be solely accountable for its actions,” Debbarma said.
He further urged the Indian government to mount diplomatic pressure and expose Bangladesh at international platforms, including the United Nations and global human rights organizations.
Debbarma highlighted the cyclical nature of targeted violence in Bangladesh, which resurfaces nearly every decade, and stressed the need for urgent international intervention.
He raised why India, which has taken strong positions on violence and human rights violations in far-off regions like Israel and Palestine, remains relatively quiet about similar issues in neighboring Bangladesh.
“If India can raise concerns about violence in other parts of the world like Israel-Palestine regarding violence on minorities then why not Bangladesh?”, Debbarma questioned.
He also emphasized India’s and specificly Tripura’s critical role in Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan in 1971, when the state served as a strategic base for the Mukti Bahini. However, he lamented that elements within Bangladesh are now threatening India.
In a fiery speech, Debbarma said, “Without India and, specifically, Tripura’s help, Bangladesh could never have achieved independence. Yet today, some people in Bangladesh threaten to ‘capture’ Northeast India. But no matter how much a monkey tries, it can never take the place of a tiger.”
He further added, “India divided Pakistan and gave birth to Bangladesh. But if the child turns against its father, the father can always put the child back in place. Bangladesh needs to remember its roots and not allow such hatred to flourish.”
The rally in Sabroom saw hundreds of participants carrying banners, posters, and placards condemning the ongoing persecution of minorities and indigenous communities in Bangladesh.
The protesters called attention to recent incidents in the CHT, where numerous indigenous people have been killed and displaced. Their homes and shops were reportedly burned in attacks carried out by illegal settlers in convince with the Bangladesh Army.
Since the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government and the establishment of an interim administration, there has been a sharp rise in attacks on minority Hindus and other religious communities in Bangladesh.
The rally highlighted the urgent need for India to take diplomatic action and ensure that the human rights of minorities and tribals in Bangladesh are protected.
