GUWAHATI: Tripura’s royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma quit active politics on Wednesday, a day after his TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) registered a thumping victory in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) Village Committee elections.
The TMP, which Debbarma founded in 2019, rules the TTAADC and is a constituent of the state’s BJP-led government. He was instrumental in bringing smaller regional parties in Tripura under the TMP’s fold.
“…Today, after much thought and considerable pain, I am making a clear and final decision. I am stepping away from active politics. I will no longer hold political office or participate in day-to-day political activity,” Debbarma wrote in a letter addressed to the people of Tripura.
Stating that this was not a temporary withdrawal, he said it was a deeply personal choice made after years of service and reflection.
“I know what I am leaving behind. But I also know that I have reached a point where I must choose my health, my family and my own peace of mind,” he further wrote.
Debbarma said his political journey had passed through many difficult moments, including the implementation of the Bru settlement, when he and his fellow leaders were able to restore dignity, hope and a sense of belonging to thousands of their people.
He said the struggle for the Tiprasa Accord was another difficult phase, aimed at correcting historical injustices and securing a safer and more dignified future for Tripura’s indigenous people.
The Tiprasa Accord is a tripartite agreement signed by the Centre, the Tripura government and the TMP in March 2024. Under the agreement, the parties agreed to amicably resolve issues concerning the state’s indigenous people relating to history, land and political rights, economic development, identity, culture and language.
“When I founded TMP, many smaller groups were fighting for the same cause, but separately. I believed our strength was always there; what we needed was unity. We built TMP not just as a political party, but as a movement to unite our people and make the Tiprasa voice heard,” Debbarma wrote.
Before founding the TMP, he was associated with the Congress and also served as its Tripura chief.
