Tripura: Regional leaders push ‘One North East’ initiative at Agartala rally

Agartala: Regional parties from across the Northeast on Thursday used a massive rally to promote the proposed “One North East” platform as a united political front against what they described as the long-standing dominance and “use-and-throw” attitude of national parties.

Weeks after several outfits announced plans for a pan-North East political entity to “represent the region in its true form and spirit,” Tipra Motha Party, a key mover of the initiative, convened the rally at Swami Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala.

Leaders alleged that, despite being closest to local aspirations, regional parties had repeatedly been reduced to junior partners with little bargaining power.

Among those who addressed the gathering were Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, Assam People’s Party leader Daniel Langthasa, former BJP national spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon, and Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front leader Ajay Edwards.

Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman claimed that his party faced hurdles in organising the event.

“Congress and CPI(M) conducted rallies in Agartala without any hassle. But when the Tiprasa party wanted to organise a mass rally, we faced objections,” he said.

“The rally was supposed to be held on November 7, but we were denied permission. We waited, and now we are doing this with permission. This rally has become successful because of ‘Thansa’ (unity),” he added.

Responding to criticism of his demand for “Greater Tipraland,” Debbarman said he did not seek validation from the media.

“Many people laugh at us. I know the newspapers tomorrow will again write nasty things about me. But I need no certificates from the media. The more you hit me, the stronger we shall bounce back,” he said.

“We may not get Greater Tipraland in the next five or ten years, but one day we shall get it for sure if we can ensure Thansa within ourselves. We achieved Thansa in Tripura first, and now this slogan of unity will spread across the North East,” he asserted.

He cited the experience of parties such as the Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, AGP, and Biju Janata Dal to allege that national parties tend to take regional allies for granted.

“A chief minister from a national party keeps waiting for ten days to meet the party high command. This is the respect our leaders get in Delhi. If you shake hands with the national party, you will be reduced to nothing. But if you defeat them, they will chase you for face-saving,” he remarked.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the “One North East” idea was rooted in the historical struggles of indigenous communities.

“Our identity, culture, and linguistic practices are still alive because our ancestors pulled off a great fight,” he said.

“We come from different hills of the North East, but what makes us one is our indigenous identity. Now the biggest problem we are facing is internal division. Because of this, we don’t have the strength we could have possessed had we been united,” he said, adding that division translates into weak and often ignored voices.

“Our blood boils when our girls and youth are discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity in the mainland. One North East came into existence to become a voice for all of them,” Sangma said.

Tripura Forest Minister and senior Tipra Motha leader Animesh Debbarma alleged that national parties treat regional outfits as “temporary foot soldiers.”

“BTC elections are a glaring example. A national party fought the elections in alliance with UPPL. Soon after it got defeated, the winning party was welcomed into the alliance, and UPPL was thrown out,” he said.

Hemchandra Singh, Daniel Langthasa, and Mmhonlumo Kikon, in converging speeches, warned that the biggest danger for indigenous peoples lay in internal division, hatred, and efforts to dilute their identity.

“We may have small differences, but these can and must be sorted out. The world will know the word ‘Thansa’,” Hemchandra said.

Langthasa recalled the region’s shared legacy and said, “We are one, we have always been one, but we have disintegrated. Today, history is being created as all our brothers have come together.”

Kikon vowed to resist any attempt to erase language, culture, and identity and praised the generosity of the Tiprasa people, asserting that the wider indigenous community of the Northeast would stand with them.

Although Tipra Motha is part of the BJP-led coalition in Tripura, party leaders indicated it is preparing to fight the next assembly elections on its own under the broader ‘One North East’ banner.