Govt to appoint interlocutor by March 27: Amit Shah tells Tripura tribal party chief

Agartala, March 23 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday informed Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman that the Centre will appoint an interlocutor by March 27 to study the "constitutional solutions" to TMP's demands.

The party, after capturing the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in April 2021, has been demanding elevation of the areas of the autonomous body by granting a 'Greater Tipraland State' or a separate state under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

"Shah called me that an interlocutor would be appointed by March 27 to study and resolve the "constitutional solutions" to the TMP's demands," the party chief told IANS on Thursday.

Also in a tweet, he said: "Woke up to an early morning call from the hon Home Minister Amit Shah to enquire about my health. He also categorically assured me that by the 27th of this month an interlocutor will be announced for our talks regarding the constitutional solution for our indigenous people of Tripura.

"I hope the home minister will understand the sentiments of the Tiprasa and honour the commitment he has given to me."

Making the 'Greater Tipraland State' issue as top most topics in the February 16 Assembly polls, the TMP contesting for the first time by putting candidates in 42 seats, had won 13 out of the 20 reserved for tribals in the 60-member Tripura Assembly.

The TMP emerged as the second single largest party after the BJP, which secured 32 seats while its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) got one and the opposition CPI-M and the Congress secured 11 and three, respectively.

But last week, Chief Minister Manik Saha had once again rejected the 'Greater Tipraland State' demand raised by the TMP, saying the state government would rather do everything that is possible for the development of the tribals, who constitute one-third of Tripura's four million populations.

After a two-hour long meeting with the Union Home Minister in Agartala on March 8, Deb Barman had said that the Union government would soon appoint an interlocutor to study and resolve the demands of the TMP within three months.

He told the media that Shah had assured that, like in the case of Nagaland, an interlocutor would be appointed to look after and resolve the demands of TMP within three months or a specific time frame.

Besides Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha, and all the 13 TMP legislators as well as senior leaders of the party were present at the meeting.

Besides the ruling BJP, the opposition CPI-M, Congress, Trinamool Congress and other parties have been strongly opposing the 'Greater Tipraland State' demand.

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