'The Conclave 2023': Tripura Royal Scion Pradyot Deb Barma Stresses On 'Separate State'

The third session of ‘The Conclave 2023’ organized by the Pratidin Media Network at the Ashok in New Delhi was on the topic ‘Identity Quest: Unraveling the ethnic Tapestry of North East India’ wherein panelist Author Sanjay Hazarika asked everyone to remember the victims of Manipur those who have lost their lives.

“We remember them this time as a way of supporting peace. So if we can all stand and remember them, this is the part of the ethnic mosaic of the region that we are sending a message from Delhi, that we support peace in the region and in Manipur,” Hazarika said.

Apart from Sanjay Hazarika, the panelist of the session included Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) Chairman Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, AASU's chief Samujjal Bhattacharya and chairman of North East Students Organization (NESO), Samuel B Jyrwa.

The session was moderated by senior journalist Sunit Kumar Bhuyan.

When Sanjay Hazarika was asked if the diversity of the Northeast India acted against the unity he said, “Unity partly comes from diversity because if you have everybody who’s on the same view or of the same group, if its monolith than there is no energy there. I think, the fascinating part about the region we call ‘Northeast’, I mean ‘east of what and North of where’ is the fact that we are very different. It’s an administrative nightmare and scholars delight, but the fact of the matter is many of the fundamental issues of land identity and community are integral to the process of identity formation. And it is important that there is respect for the different ethnicities which are there. So, it is not as if one group can dominate, it is very difficult in the Northeast.”

“So the fact that there is such diversity which acts as a ‘control against dominance’, and I think this is very important,” he added.

Further, when the moderator, Sunit Bhuyan questioned Pradyot Burma on the demand for Tripura land and if demanding a ‘separate state’ can solve the problems of the Tripuris, he said,  “Well, that’s my point of view, if you have a better point of view, you can tell me the solution. We have waited for 76 years to improve the condition of the indigenous native people of Tripura. In the last 76 years, we have had various governments, but the problems of the indigenous people have not improved. In fact, more and more people have come across the border from Bangladesh. And the rights of the indigenous people have not been protected. So no idea comes in isolation.”

“Over the years, we have thought that this happened because administrative powers were no longer in our hands and that is why we are fighting for administrative powers. Now when people say, it’s a dream to think about a separate state for the indigenous people, well, I did not invent that dream, that dream was invented when in the constitution of India, Article 2 and 3 was written. You remove that and my dream will be over. But, till the time people told us, “there is a right, you can demand that,” I will demand. But my main objective is not to create a separate state but to ensure the protection and the cultural identity of the indigenous people or the native people of Tripura who you call Tiprasa, if that happened than I am willing to commit the same mistakes over and over again, because if you annihilate our entire community which has survived for such a long time in the name of larger unity, larger assimilation, then you are actually creating assimilation in the name of annihilation, and this is something which I am not willing to accept,” he added.

Burma further said that the indigenous people of Tripura must absolutely speak out as everybody has the right.

“We have a view, if the wise thinkers of India, the great man of India have a better point of view, please give us a solution but you cannot tell us to not protect our rights, to not think about our next generation by looking at the larger global context of India, he said.

Again, on asking why the indigenous people of Northeast are are still advocating for their rights, NESO Chairman Sameul B Jyrwa said,” The King of Tripura has rightly pointed out that we have to keep on advocating our rights but the question arises, why? This date back to history, the British officers with the help of the Indian soldiers were controlling us for more than 200 years and the Chief from the Khasi Hills in 1829 fought against the British and it lasted for four years. But unfortunately, the Khasis were defeated and similarly chief and kings have fought against the British right from the time the early rebellions were there in mainland India and the northeastern part of India.”

“And even after attaining freedom, the indigenous people of India are still not feeling safe. In this vast mainland of India, we the Northeastern are a population of five crores compared to the present population of India which is 135 crores. We are just a drop in the ocean and if we stop fighting for our rights to protect and preserve our identity than our future generations will become like the Red Indians of the North America and that is why, till today, due to the successive policies of the Government of India not giving us adequate measures to protect our identity. That is why indigenous people till today, we have to struggle fighting for our rights,” he further added.

Shedding light on certain instances Jyrwa said, “We have seen in the Northeastern part of India, the recent implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), with an overwhelmed percent of indigenous people of Northeast denying the act, still the Government of India went ahead and imposed the CAA within whole of the northeastern region. Only some areas were exempted like the ILP ruled states and the sixth schedule areas.”

“This is just another instance of Political injustice and so many instances right from independence of 1947 till 2023, if we name out it will take a long time,” he added.