Agartala, July 3:
The Tribal Youth Federation (TYF), the youth wing of the opposition, on Friday staged a protest demonstration in the Circuit House area of Agartala, pressing for a seven-point charter of demands, including the immediate filling of over 52,000 vacant government posts, inclusion of Kokborok in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, and greater constitutional powers for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Hundreds of TYF activists carrying party flags and placards participated in the demonstration and raised slogans against the BJP-led coalition government, accusing it of failing to address unemployment, education and tribal development issues.
Among the key demands placed before the government were the filling of vacancies across various government departments, introduction of Kokborok as a subject from the school level up to the university with a permanent solution to the script issue, provision of at least 20 days of employment every month in the ADC areas, establishment of degree colleges in remote tribal regions, and passage of the proposed 12th Constitutional Amendment to grant greater powers to the TTAADC.
The protesters alleged that despite the availability of thousands of qualified unemployed youths, nearly 52,000 government posts, including a large number of teaching positions, remain vacant. They claimed that many schools across the state have either been shut down or are functioning with only a single teacher due to the government’s failure to recruit staff.
The TYF also accused the BJP-TIPRA Motha-IPFT coalition government of widespread corruption and alleged large-scale irregularities in appointments. Referring to the recent recruitment of around 120 clerks in the TIPRA Motha-administered TTAADC, the organisation alleged that the recruitment process was illegal and demanded its immediate cancellation, claiming it was only the “tip of the iceberg” of corruption in the administration.
Raising concern over the growing menace of drug addiction among students and youths, the protesters urged the government to take effective measures to curb narcotics abuse while simultaneously addressing unemployment and improving educational infrastructure in the state.
The demonstration concluded with TYF leaders warning that the organisation would intensify its agitation if the government failed to initiate concrete steps to address the demands.
