Tripura tribal party forum to protest citizenship bill
- | Tuesday | 17th January, 2017
The forum has initiated its first step of protest, calling a dawn-to-dusk bandh in the tribal areas autonomous district council on February 8 demanding revocation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Hrangkhwal added. Party secretary Bijan Dhar said, "We are also opposing the amendment bill because BJP wants to accumulate Hindu votes, which goes against the spirit of Indian Constitution. "ATIRPF will work for the protection of the interests of the indigenous population of Tripura," senior tribal leader and INPT president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhwal said on Monday. "This will marginalise and dispossess the indigenous people and the process of racial discrimination will continue in their own homeland. But calling a strike in Tripura ADC for this is not acceptable.
Three major tribal political parties of the state launched a common platform, the All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF), to fight for the protection of the rights of the indigenous people in the state.The formation of ATIRPF, with the coming together of the Indigenous People`s Front of Twipra (IPFT), the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), is being seen as a significant move a year before the state assembly election. Tribals constitute 31% of the population, with 20 seats reserved for them in the 60-member assembly."ATIRPF will work for the protection of the interests of the indigenous population of Tripura," senior tribal leader and INPT president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhwal said on Monday. The forum has initiated its first step of protest, calling a dawn-to-dusk bandh in the tribal areas autonomous district council on February 8 demanding revocation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Hrangkhwal added."States in the northeast have long been suffering from the influx of illegal migrants from neighbouring countries," the INPT president said, adding that the amendment bill was motivated by BJP`s vote bank politics and would only make way for illegal migrants to become Indian citizens."This will marginalise and dispossess the indigenous people and the process of racial discrimination will continue in their own homeland. The provisions in the proposed bill violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination as well as Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution," Hrangkhwal said.The ruling CPM, on the other hand, has criticised the forum and said it is aimed at destabilising amity between the tribals and the non-tribals. Party secretary Bijan Dhar said, "We are also opposing the amendment bill because BJP wants to accumulate Hindu votes, which goes against the spirit of Indian Constitution. But calling a strike in Tripura ADC for this is not acceptable."
If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ
Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.
Stay updated with all the Agartala Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.
