TRIPURA 

Left Front & Associates Take Charge of ADC

 Haripada Das

THE Left Front and its associates, the National Socialist Party of Tripura (NSPT), took charge of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC), on May 19, amid a huge rally of the tribal as well as non-tribal population at Khumulwng, the ADC headquarters. The stormy weather and drizzling rain could not deter the spirited people from rushing towards Khumulwng to witness the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected Executive Committee, led by Aghore Debbarma as its chief executive member (CEM).

The NSPT was formed about two years ago, after a section of the pro-terrorist Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) got disgusted with the disruptive role of the latter, came out of it, and decided to support the CPI(M) and the Left Front.

In the first session of the council which met at 11 a m, with the senior most ADC member Mongsajai Mog in chair, Shanti Ranjan Reang of the NSPT and Aghore Debbarma of the CPI(M) were proposed for post of chairman and chief executive member (CEM) respectively. While Shanti Ranjan Reang’s name was proposed by Radhacharan  Debbarma of the CPI(M), Sridam Debbarma of the NSPT proposed the name of Aghore Debbarma. As no other candidate was proposed for these posts, pro-tem chairman Mongsajai Mog declared them elected unopposed amidst high applause in the session.

At 2.30 p m, Aghore Debbarma (CEM) and 8 other executive members took oath on an open dais in front of the Council Bhavan, before a huge congregation of people who had gathered there to witness the ceremony. The other executive members were Radhacharan Debbarma, Gajendra Tripura, Shantanu Jamatia and Sandhyarani Chakma of the CPI(M), Dhirendra Reang (CPI), Khaipaiha Reang (RSP), Paresh Chandra Sarkar (Forward Bloc) and Budhu Debbarma (NSPT). The state’s law secretary Swapan Chandra Das administered the oath to the executive members.

Chief minister Manik Sarkar and his cabinet colleagues (Manik Day, Jitendra Chowdhury, Tapan Chakraborty, Khagendra Jamatia, Pranab Debbarma, Gopal Das), Bajuban Riyan (member of parliament), other leaders of the Left Front parties and NSPT and a host of officials were present at the ceremony.

Addressing the rally presided over by Shanti Ranjan Reang, Manik Sarkar said there was no barrier between the state government and the ADC. We have prepared an integrated time-bound plan for development of the state and attain self-sufficiency in all respects. We are striving forward to achieve that target. He declared amid cheers of the people that if the government, the ADC and the gram panchayats could act in unison, no obstacle, howsoever formidable, could stand in the way to our advancement. Certainly, in a state like Tripura, resource mobilisation is a big problem, but he said there would be no dearth of fund for developmental works.  

Greeting the new council and the just elected executive committee on behalf of the state’s Left Front government and the peace-loving people of Tripura, Sarkar explained the important role of the ADC in respect of upliftment of the tribal people in the spheres of economy, trade, agriculture, communication, education, culture and so on. Without progress of the tribal areas, no sustainable progress could be made in the state as a whole, he said. Elaborating the priorities of the Left Front government, he said the immediate aim was to bring the poor above the poverty line and upgrade the standard of living of the masses in general.

Addressing the misguided extremist youth who are still adhering to the path of destruction and annihilation, Sarkar said they have wasted their youth in the last 30 years for a ‘free’ Tripura, which is an absurd dream. Tripura has already witnessed a lot of bloodshed, in which the innocent as well as the extremists have lost lives. Many lives have been spoiled. Tripura would have been attained far more progress if only this extremist scourge had not been there. He said it was high time the extremists realised the follies they have committed. He assured that the Left Front government would keep its doors open to induct the extremists into the mainstream if they abjured this suicidal path and wanted to take part in building a New Tripura. 

On the occasion, Aghore Debbarma assured the people to provide them a transparent and corruption free, pro-people administration in the ADC and committed to conduct village council elections as early as possible. He said the immediate priority of the ADC was to ensure the fulfilment of basic needs like drinking water, education, primary health services, etc. All these services or provisions were severely disrupted during the INPT rule in ADC. He sought full cooperation of all sections of the people, including the opposition parties, which are not represented in the present council. He asked the opposition to take a lesson from their total wipe out from the council in the latest elections. However, he said the new executive body needed their cooperation, assuring them that their advice and suggestions about the state’s development in the interest of the impoverished tribal people would be valued most.

Tribal welfare minister Jitendra Chowdhury expressed the opinion that if the Left Front government’s package programme for tribal welfare could be implemented properly, the Tripura ADC would become a model not only for the north eastern states but for the whole country. For the Tripura ADC represents an alternative programme, quite different from that of other autonomous councils in the country, because the ADC in Tripura is the outcome of a long-drawn united struggle of the tribal and non-tribal people of the state, Chowdhury maintained.

The newly elected ADC members were offered a warm reception at the divisional committee office of the Sadar East, under which the ADC headquarters at Khumulwng fall. (INN)