DEMAND FOR GREATER TIPRALAND

A 3-party agreement has been signed between the Central government, the State government of Tripura and the TIPRA Motha. 

What is the TIPRA Motha?

1. The Tipra Motha, also called the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance, is a regional political party in Tripura.
2. It used to be a social organisation led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma.
   1. A social organization helps people and communities with social issues, like education or healthcare, without directly involving politics.
   2. A political party aims to win elections and influence government decisions by promoting specific policies and ideas.
3. Currently, it is the 2nd-largest party in the Tripura Legislative Assembly.

What are the demands of the TIPRA Motha?

1. Demand for a separate state of Greater Tipraland:
   1. Earlier the demand for a separate state named Tipraland existed for Tiprasa.  "Tiprasa" is a term that refers to the indigenous tribal communities of Tripura.
   2. It included the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and some surrounding areas to be made into a separate state from Tripura. An Autonomous District Council (ADC) is a local self-government body established under the provisions of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India.
   3. It was supposed to cover 68% of the total geographical area of Tripura.
   4. But later on, a new demand for Greater Tipraland emerged,  which is an expanded version of Tipraland. It includes additional; regions from Assam, Mizoram and Bangladesh where Tripuri people live.
2. More autonomy for TTAADC including
   1. Direct funding from the Central government
   2. Own Police force
   3. Share of revenue from gas exploration taking place in Tripura
3. Declaration of the Roman script as the official script for the Kokborok language in the state. (Kokborok is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Tripura and neighbouring areas of Bangladesh)

What are the reasons behind such demands?

1. Demographic Change: Historically, indigenous tribal communities comprised a significant majority of Tripura's population. However, there has been a significant change in the tribal population due to the displacement of Bengalis from the erstwhile East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971 (as given below):

2. Ethnic Conflicts: There have been fights between tribal and non-tribal people, leading to serious problems, including armed conflicts in the past. As a result, the demand for Greater Tipraland grew from earlier requests for autonomy to later demands for complete sovereignty and independence.
3. Alleged Discrimination: TTAADC alleged that discrimination takes place when resources are allocated in the state.

Does Parliament have the authority to create a new state (under the Constitution)?

What does the 3-Party Agreement say?

1. It seeks to peacefully settle all problems faced by the indigenous people of Tripura.
2. To make this happen, a joint working group (a team from all sides) will be established to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between the concerned parties.
3. The agreement stresses the importance of peace, asking everyone involved to avoid protests or activities that could disrupt the peace process.