Pradyot meets CM, says talks over accord 'moving ahead'

Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Friday met Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to discuss a range of issues including the implementation of the Tiprasa accord which had reportedly been stalled due to reservations flagged by certain quarters.

The accord came into existence after a tripartite agreement signed in New Delhi and initially it was asserted by the signatories especially Tipra Motha that the accord would be implemented in a time-bound manner with the lion's share of the work and consultative process culminating within a six-month period. However, due to certain issues, the process got stalled and on a number of occasions, Tipra Motha expressed its discontent over the delay.

After the meeting with Chief Minister, Debbarman called the ‘fruitful’.  

“During the meeting, I made our points clear and the Chief Minister gave us a patient hearing. We also heard their views in detail. It is encouraging that the consultation process has begun on a positive note,” he said.

He clarified that issues such as Village Council (VC) and Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections were not part of the discussion.

Expressing optimism over the resumption of the talks, Debbarman said, “It is a matter of great satisfaction that we are moving ahead with the talks over the accord.”

This was the second meeting between Debbarman and Dr Saha in recent weeks, which political observers see as an effort to narrow differences between the ruling allies.

Even as both parties avoid trading charges in open, dissidence has reportedly set in over the long delay. It is also learnt that some leaders are finding it hard to keep patience as the delay in accord implementation impacting their political support base.

Riding high on its slogan of constitutional solution, Tipra Motha had been able to create a strong sway over the large sections of the indigenous community voters and signing of Tiprasa accord came as a vindication of the political movement it launched for rights. With no major developments for the last 18 months after the signing of the accord and a one page document, a significant number of voters have started doubting the probability of the accord being materialised in reality ever.  

The opposition, on the other hand, had been working overtime to intensify the shadow of doubts casting over the issue.