Agartala, December 13:
With the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections barely two months away, cracks within the ruling NDA alliance in Tripura appeared to widen further on Saturday as Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha virtually rejected two key demands of ally Tipra Motha Party — the immediate implementation of the Tiprasa Accord and adoption of the Roman script for the Kokborok language.
Dr. Saha made his views clear while addressing a massive joining programme of indigenous people organised by the BJP’s tribal wing, Janajati Morcha, in Agartala. His remarks came just two days after Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma confidently predicted a decisive victory for his party against the BJP in the forthcoming TTAADC polls.
Referring to the delay in the implementation of the Tiprasa Accord, the Chief Minister held the junior alliance partner responsible, alleging that the party had violated the terms of the tripartite agreement.
Dr. Saha pointed out that the accord clearly mentions that no form of agitation would be carried out for six months following its signing, but claimed that pressure tactics and protests began almost immediately.
“I still say that the agreement should be implemented and it will be implemented. But how can it be fulfilled if the very terms of the agreement are violated?” the Chief Minister said, indicating that repeated agitations had complicated the process.
Without naming Tipra Motha directly, Dr. Saha further alleged that the party had fallen under the influence of “hooligans” from the CPI(M)’s tribal wing, the Ganamukti Parishad, and accused them of instigating violence.
He asserted that the BJP government would not bow to pressure or intimidation.
In another significant statement likely to aggravate tensions within the alliance, the Chief Minister signalled the BJP government’s opposition to introducing the Roman script for Kokborok—another core demand of Tipra Motha.
Dr. Saha argued that adopting the Roman script could alienate future generations from their cultural roots.
“If Roman script is imposed, the next generation may forget their roots,” he said, suggesting that Kokborok speaking intellectuals should instead work towards developing an indigenous script, citing the Chakma community as an example.
He also remarked that adopting a script associated with English, introduced by colonial rulers, was not desirable.
Both the Tiprasa Accord and the Roman script for Kokborok remain central issues for the Tipra Motha Party, which has consistently pressed for their early resolution. However, Saturday’s statements by Chief Minister Saha indicate a clear hardening of the BJP’s stand, further straining relations between the alliance partners.
With the politically sensitive TTAADC elections scheduled early next year, these issues are now expected to dominate the campaign narrative, potentially reshaping alliance equations and intensifying the contest in Tripura’s tribal heartland.
