GREATER TIPRALAND

1. Context

Several tribal organizations in Tripura have recently joined together to push for the creation of Greater Tipraland, a separate state for indigenous peoples in the region.

TIPRA Motha (Tipraha Indgenious Progressive Regional Alliance) and IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura) are among the political groups that have come together for the cause.

2. Historical Background

• Tripura was a kingdom ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the late 13th century until the signing of the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government in 1949.
• The demand stems from the anxiety of the indigenous communities in connection with the change in the demographics of the state, which has reduced them to a minority.
• It happened due to the displacement of Bengalis from erstwhile East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971.
• From 63.77 % in 1881, the population of the tribals in Tripura was down to 31.80% by 2011.
• In the intervening decades, ethnic conflict and insurgency gripped the state, which shares a nearly 860-km-long boundary with Bangladesh.
• The joint forum has also pointed out that the indigenous people have not only been reduced to a minority but have also been dislodged from the land reserved for them by the penultimate king of the Manikya dynasty Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman.

3. Their Main Demand

• The parties are demanding a separate state of Greater Tipraland for the indigenous communities of the northeastern state.
• They want the center to carve out a separate state under Articles 2 and 3 of the constitution.
• Among the 19 notified Scheduled Tribes in Tripura, Tripuris (aka Tipra and Tiprasas) are the largest. According to the 2011 census, there are at least 5.92 lakh Tripuris in the state, followed by Bru or Reang (1.88 lakh) and Jamatis (83,000).

4. What does the constitution say?

Article 2 of the constitution deals with the admission or establishment of new states. “Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new states on such terms and conditions, as it thinks fit, “it states.

Article 3 comes into play in the case of the formation of new states and the alteration of areas, boundaries, or names of existing states by the parliament.

5. Initiatives to resolve the problem

Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC)

• The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) was formed under the sixth schedule of the Constitution in 1985 to ensure the development and secure the rights and cultural heritage of the tribal communities.
• The TTADC, which has legislative and executive powers, covers nearly two-thirds of the state's geographical area.
• The council comprises 30 members of which 28 are elected while two are nominated by the Governor.
• Also, out of the 60 Assembly seats in the state, 20 are reserved for scheduled Tribes.
• 'Greater Tipraland' envisages a situation in which the entire TTADC area will be a separate state.
• It also proposes dedicated bodies to secure the rights of the Tripuris and other aboriginal communities living outside Tripura.

For Prelims & Mains