Agartala: A social media exchange between Tripura University Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication Sunil Kalai and newly elected Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) MDC Rajeshwar Debbarma has brought apparent differences within TIPRA Motha into the open.
Kalai, who is associated with the party’s employees’ body, took to social media to express concerns over what he described as neglect of certain sections and called upon the leadership to adopt a more inclusive approach.
“In Maharaja’s absence, no leader remembers us. Sometimes people should know that we exist,” Kalai wrote, adding that members of the community sometimes tended to “pull down one another”.
“At times we feel neglected. We all need space to live and breathe,” he said.
Tagging Rajeshwar Debbarma, Kalai also cautioned against divisions based on community or creed and argued that leaders should ensure representation and space for all sections.
“If you always play on the basis of community or creed, minorities like us have nowhere to go. We need leaders who are inclusive, not leaders who are divisive,” he wrote.
Responding to the allegations, Debbarma rejected the suggestion that Kalai had been neglected. He said representatives and heads of Tiprasa communities, including Kalai, had been invited to attend the day’s programme.
“No one neglects you. All are cordially invited to attend today’s event,” Debbarma responded, adding that community representatives had been invited “with great honour”.
Kalai, however, continued to question whether adequate efforts were being made to involve people from different sections of society in the functioning of the TTAADC.
“ADC is not only for elected members. You all are in the post because people like us voted for you,” he wrote.
Calling for greater recognition of academicians, Kalai asked whether academics were not voters of the TTAADC or members of the community and urged elected representatives to acknowledge contributions made by people from different fields.
The exchange followed a colourful procession organised by the TTAADC in Agartala to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The public interaction has drawn attention to questions of representation and inclusiveness within TIPRA Motha, which dominates the TTAADC and has positioned itself as a key political voice for Tripura’s indigenous communities.
