Tripura CM slams 'fake' indigenous leaders over language and culture snub
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has criticised leaders claiming to represent the indigenous 'Thansa' community for not speaking the local language. His remarks came during a BJP event in Agartala where over 1,300 families joined the party.
Saha also accused the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) of spreading corruption and anarchy. He further alleged that political groups had dragged school students into protests over the Kokborok script issue.
Speaking at the gathering, Saha addressed the crowd in their mother tongue, expressing pride in doing so. He stressed that anyone wishing to lead the Thansa community must understand its language and culture. The chief minister specifically named tribal leaders within the BJP, such as Rebati Tripura, Bikas Debbarma, and Santana Chakma, who communicate fluently in indigenous languages.
He then turned to the ongoing debate over the Kokborok script. Saha firmly stated that adopting the Roman script for the language was not possible, reaffirming the state government's position. His comments also targeted the TTAADC, warning that its current leadership style would bring chaos if replicated at the state level.
During the same event, 1,336 families—totaling around 3,189 voters—officially joined the BJP. The chief minister used the occasion to highlight the party's growing support among indigenous communities.
Saha's remarks underscore tensions over language, representation, and governance in Tripura. The BJP's expanding base among tribal voters comes amid ongoing disputes over the Kokborok script and criticism of the TTAADC's administration. The chief minister's stance suggests no immediate shift in the state's position on the script issue.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
