Call for strike on Feb 8 in Tripura’s tribal areas

Political parties in Tripura adopted varied stands on the general strike called by a consortium of tribal parties in areas that fall under the tribal autonomous district council. The All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) announced its intention to enforce the strike on February 8 to protest the Union government’s decision to adopt a new citizenship policy that allows the ingress of religious minorities from neighbouring countries.

 

A bargaining tool

 

The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the Nationalist Council of Tripura (NCT) are constituents of the forum and they, too, resolved to work beyond the citizenship issue. Many termed its creation a bargaining tool to work out a deal with the national parties over the 20 tribal reserved seats in the 2018 Assembly elections.

 

Ethnic tensions

 

The Communist Party of India CPI(M)said it does not support the new, communally motivated citizenship policy of the Central government, but also cannot support the strike as the parties involved in the call practice divisive politicsto create ethnic tensions in the State. The State BJP unit said it completely supports the citizenship amendment and opposed the strike.

 

The BJP, however, lauded the tribal parties for uniting under one umbrella. Party president Biplab Deb said they would engage with regional parties to try to dispel ‘confusion’ over theCitizenship Amendment Bill, 2016.

 

TMC cautious

 

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has presence in the State assembly with six legislators, has reacted cautiously to the strike call. Senior party leader and former leader of opposition Sudip Roy Barman said his party stands against the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

 

Mr. Barman, who addressed a news conference along with State TMC chief Asish Saha on Thursday, however, avoided a question about the party’s position on the February 8 strike. The ATIRPF had earlier appealed to all political parties to extend support to the strike.

 

Bill aims to create rift

 

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML-L) is to convene here on February 5 to demand withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

 

State secretary of the party Partha Karmakar in a statement said the Bill aimed at creating a rift between communities and would cause havoc for residents of the State.