Agartala, November 5: Tipra Motha founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman has urged the people of the North East to move away from dependence on national parties and central leaders, stressing the need for regional unity and self-reliance to address local issues.
Speaking through a social media livestream on Tuesday, a day after announcing the formation of ‘One North East’, Pradyot said the region had long been made to feel inferior and dependent on Delhi. “Somewhere, we have accepted that we are servants. The older generation has internalised this mindset. Every national party divides us, and we keep falling for it,” he said.
He questioned why issues like the Inner Line Permit system or the inclusion of North East history and culture in national curricula were consistently ignored. “Illegal immigration is a serious issue, yet instead of uniting, we fight among ourselves while outsiders laugh at our disunity,” he remarked.
Appealing for harmony between Tripura’s tribal and Bengali communities, Pradyot said mutual mistrust had weakened the state. “Tribals call Bengalis Bangladeshis, and Bengalis call tribals Mongolians. This must stop. Unless we unite, we will remain backward,” he stressed.
Declaring that the existing political model has failed, Pradyot called for a new, people-centric politics based on cooperation rather than dependency. “Our children deserve a new model of politics — one built on unity and fresh thinking,” he said.
Pradyot revealed that leaders from several northeastern states had already expressed interest in joining One North East. “In the next 45 days, we will hold consultations to shape our ideology and roadmap. This will be a democratic process — a fight for our survival,” he stated, adding that no leader from Delhi will solve the North East’s problems — “the change must begin from within us.”
