Agartala, March 14 — The Twipra Students Federation (TSF) has urged all political parties contesting the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) to nominate indigenous candidates for all 28 seats, including the three general constituencies.
Addressing a press conference at the Agartala Press Club on Saturday, TSF vice president John Debbarma said the appeal was made to ensure proper representation of tribal communities in the Autonomous District Council. He stressed that the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, under Articles 244(2) and 275(1), provides special autonomy to tribal areas through ADCs, aimed at protecting tribal land, culture, customs and traditional governance systems.
Debbarma stated that indigenous representatives are better positioned to understand the challenges faced by tribal communities and to address their issues effectively. According to him, leaders from tribal backgrounds are more familiar with the social, cultural and economic realities of people living in the ADC areas.
Expressing concern over the recently announced candidate list of the CPI(M), Debbarma pointed out that the party has nominated non-indigenous candidates in certain constituencies, including Manu Chailengta. He questioned whether such candidates would be able to effectively connect with the largely tribal population residing in those areas.
“I am concerned about how much they will be able to relate to the needs and aspirations of the people in constituencies where the majority belong to tribal communities,” Debbarma said.
At the same time, he clarified that the TSF does not hold any negative views towards non-tribal communities. He emphasised that the organisation’s appeal is based on the belief that indigenous leadership would better represent the interests and concerns of tribal populations.
Debbarma also called on other major political parties — including the Congress, IPFT, TIPRA Motha and BJP — to prioritise indigenous candidates across all constituencies in the upcoming ADC elections to ensure meaningful representation of tribal communities.
