Govt reaches out to Pradyot after he ups ante on interlocutor

GUWAHATI:  The Centre is learnt to have reached out to TIPRA Motha after its chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma threatened to launch a fast-unto-death stir over the delay in the appointment of an interlocutor to study and examine the demand for “constitutional solution” to the issues and problems of Tripura’s 14 lakh tribals.

When contacted, Debbarma refused to share anything. He will brief the media on Wednesday. On March 23, he stated he had received a call from Union home minister Amit Shah who assured that “an interlocutor will be announced for our talks by the 27th of this month…”  Debbarma had on Monday released an audio message for his party workers and supporters, announcing that he was ready to die to secure the rights of his  Tiprasa people.

“My dear   Tiprasa people, you have given me a lot of love and respect. If required, I will resort to a hunger strike from tomorrow. I cannot cheat you. I don’t care about my health or illness,” Debbarma said.
“Government of India has to listen to us and talk to us. I will wait till tomorrow. If nothing happens, your Bubagra (king) will resort to fast-unto-death (stir). I want to give this message. I love you a lot and there is a lot of pressure on me. I am ready to die and die for you but you should get something,” the royal scion had further stated in the audio message.

On March 8, Shah had a meeting with Debbarma and TIPRA Motha leaders in Agartala. Soon after the meeting, Debbarma told the media, “We have been assured that an interlocutor will be appointed and the solution to our constitutional demand initiated within the next few days. We expect  something positive within three months.”