On Thursday, normal life in Tripura was halted as the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and its supporters called for a 24‑hour shutdown. The bandh aimed to press the state’s ruling BJP‑led government to act on the party’s eight demands, including the deportation of illegal migrants and the immediate conduct of elections for the Tribal Village Committees.
Picketers set up sit‑ins at more than 52 key spots across the state, and they blocked two railway tracks in West Tripura and Khowai districts. Police said there were no serious incidents and that the situation remained under control. A large security presence – including the Tripura State Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force – was posted throughout the state.
Most government offices kept their doors open as directed by a state notification, but private businesses, shops and markets shut down. Movement on major roads, including National Highway‑8, stopped when protestors blocked crossings at several points.
The TIPRA Civil Society, led by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, launched the shutdown to highlight its demands. In addition to migrant deportation, the TMP wants the Tipra Accord enforced, detention camps set up in each district, and the Inner Line Permit system introduced to curb infiltration. Debbarma said Tripura lags behind states like Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi in tackling illegal migration, even though the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued directives.
Tripura’s Chief Minister Manik Saha warned that development can’t stall for a strike and said many NGOs opposed the bandh. He implied that the protest was organized to attract media attention rather than to serve public interest.
Opposition leaders, including CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, criticized the strike, arguing that the demands don’t resonate with everyday citizens.
The TMP, which joined the BJP‑led coalition last month after signing a tripartite agreement with the centre and state, has 13 MLAs in the Tripura assembly. Two of its members, Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, now serve in Chief Minister Manik Saha’s ministry.
The party is also pushing for “Greater Tipraland”, a separate state for tribal communities, and quicker elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. The TTAADC, covering two‑thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km and home to over 12.16 lakh people (84 % tribals), has been under TMP control since 2021.
The bandh may force the Tripura government to revisit its migration and tribal governance policies, but for now, life in the state remains on pause.
Source: ianslive
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