Agartala, October 4: Tipra Motha party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Sunday appealed to supporters of all political parties to refrain from violence following declaration of results of Tripura’s village council elections, saying any attack between opponent political groups would ultimately harm the indigenous community and the future of its children.
In a social media live, Debbarma said it did not matter whether Tipra Motha, BJP, Congress, CPI(M) or IPFT won or lost, as violence against political opponents would amount to a defeat for the Tiprasa community.
“If the winner beats or assaults the loser, it will not be the victory of Motha, CPM, Congress or BJP. It will be the defeat of Tiprasa community,” he said.
His appeal came days after a Tipra Motha candidate was shot during the village council election process. Referring to the incident, Debbarma said allegations had been levelled against different political parties, but stressed that both the victim and the alleged assailant belonged to the same community.
“The person who fired the bullet was also Tiprasa and the person who was shot was also Tiprasa. What did we gain?” he asked.
Debbarma said indigenous people of Tripura could not afford to fight among themselves and warned that political violence would damage the prospects of the next generation.
He said he had fought the village council election issue in the Supreme Court “for you, not for Motha”, with the objective of ensuring that the ultimate victory belonged to the people and the community.
Broadening his appeal beyond Tipra Motha, Debbarma urged BJP, CPI(M), Congress and IPFT supporters to accept the electoral verdict without resorting to violence.
“This is not only about Tiprasa. It is also about Bengalis, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists,” he said, arguing that Tripura had spent decades putting political parties ahead of the state’s development and children’s future.
He said politics should be a means of choosing leaders and not intimidating those who had lost.
“We are all Indians. We are all citizens of a very small state,” Debbarma said, adding that violence could never be an agenda for development.
He also urged parents and political workers to prioritise children’s education and opportunities over party allegiance.
“A child should have a pen in his hand, a laptop in his hand, not a political party flag,” he said.
Debbarma said he would consider his years of work for the community meaningful if the village council election results were followed by peace rather than clashes.
“If there is no violence tomorrow, I will feel that the work and effort I have made for my people over the years has moved in the right direction,” he said.
