Tripura’s royal scion forms apolitical front to fight for indigenous people.

Source – hindustantimes.com

Almost three months after resigning from the Congress, the former chief of the party’s Tripura’s unit and the state’s royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Deb Barman announced an apolitical forum to work for the rights of the indigenous people.

He announced it through social media.

The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance or TIPRA involving different indigenous leaders would start protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) from January next year.

“After discussing with different indigenous leaders, we have decided to hold peaceful protests from January 8, 2020. We will form committees in the block and booth level to hold protest rallies. Our movement is not against any community, language or religion,” Barman said.

He had filed a petition against CAA in the Supreme Court earlier in December.

TIPRA came into being after the formation of the Joint Movement Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (JMACAB) comprising of different indigenous-based political parties and social organisations.

The JMACAB started a strike for an indefinite period since December 9 and they withdrew it three days after they were assured of a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah.

After holding a meeting with Amit Shah, leaders of JMACAB said they are about to meet Shah again shortly after which they would decide their next course of action.

The 41-year-old Barman became Tripura Congress’ chief in February this year ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

He resigned from his post and the party in September over his alleged differences with Congress general secretary Luizinho Faleiro after he asked the royal family scion to drop a case related to updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the Supreme Court.