Agartala, October 4: Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Sunday appealed to political parties and their supporters in Tripura to accept the village council election results peacefully, warning that post-poll violence would harm the indigenous community and undermine the future of the state's children.
In a social media live, Debbarma urged supporters of Tipra Motha, BJP, Congress, CPI(M) and IPFT not to attack or intimidate political opponents following the declaration of the results.
“If the winner beats or assaults the loser, it will not be the victory of Motha, CPM, Congress or BJP. It will be the defeat of Tiprasa community,” he said.
His appeal came days after violence during the village council election process, including the shooting of a Tipra Motha candidate.
Referring to the incident, Debbarma said allegations had been levelled against various political parties but questioned the purpose of such violence when both the victim and the alleged assailant belonged to the same indigenous community.
“The person who fired the bullet was also Tiprasa and the person who was shot was also Tiprasa. What did we gain?” he asked.
Debbarma said the indigenous people of Tripura could not afford to fight among themselves and warned that political violence would damage the prospects of the next generation.
He said he had taken up the village council election-related issue in the Supreme Court “for you, not for Motha”, with the aim of ensuring that the ultimate victory belonged to the people and the community.
Appealing to supporters of rival parties as well, Debbarma asked the BJP, CPI(M), Congress and IPFT to respect the electoral mandate and refrain from violence.
“This is not only about Tiprasa. It is also about Bengalis, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists,” he said.
Tripura, he said, had spent decades giving political parties greater importance than development and the future of its children.
He stressed that politics should be about choosing representatives and leaders rather than intimidating those who had lost an election.
“We are all Indians. We are all citizens of a very small state,” Debbarma said, adding that violence could never be an agenda for development.
He also urged parents and political workers to focus on children's education and opportunities rather than political allegiance.
“A child should have a pen in his hand, a laptop in his hand, not a political party flag,” he said.
Debbarma said he would consider his years of work for the community meaningful if the village council election results were followed by peace rather than clashes.
“If there is no violence tomorrow, I will feel that the work and effort I have made for my people over the years has moved in the right direction,” he said.
