Agartala, April 12: A day after Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma questioned the silence of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on the controversial remarks made by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his recent China visit, CPIM politburo member and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhary on Saturday condemned Yunus’s statement but also urged Pradyot to refrain from making provocative and impractical remarks regarding Bangladesh.
Addressing the media at the CPIM party office in Agartala, Chaudhary termed Yunus’s comment — that India’s Northeast is “landlocked” and should come under Chinese autonomy — as “unfortunate,” while asserting that no country in the subcontinent, including China, has given any importance to such statements.
However, Chaudhary also strongly criticized Pradyot Kishore for his reactionary comments about dividing Bangladesh and incorporating the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) into a proposed ‘Greater Tipraland’. “These kinds of comments may create sensation but have no practical value,” said Chaudhary, who is also the state secretary of the CPIM in Tripura.
He added, “We have seen statements in newspapers that the CHT may be extracted from Bangladesh. This idea was even present during the formation of Tipra Motha. But such ideas not only lack realism but can also adversely affect bilateral relations and disturb peace in the region.”
The senior CPIM leader and former MP expressed concern that such rhetoric might provoke tension across the border and negatively impact both tribal and minority communities living in Bangladesh. “If I myself made such a comment, people would question why leaders are making such irresponsible statements. These have international and national repercussions and do not help foster peace, development, or coexistence,” he said.
Chaudhary, who also heads the CPIM’s tribal wing, Ganamukti Parishad, accused Pradyot of using the ‘Greater Tipraland’ narrative and signing of the tripartite agreement popularly known as ‘Tipra Accord’ as short-term electoral strategy, warning that such politics could ultimately undermine his leadership credibility.
Recently, Pradyot had lashed out at Muhammad Yunus and the current Bangladesh government during public rallies, urging the Indian government to remain vigilant against the possible involvement of Pakistan’s ISI in destabilizing the Northeast.
He even threatened that the Chittagong Hill Tracts could be separated from Bangladesh with the help of Tiprasa communities living there.
Chaudhary’s statement has brought a new dimension to the political discourse in Tripura, as calls grow louder for restraint and responsible leadership in dealing with sensitive international and ethnic issues.
