Tripura: ATIRPF holds 5 hour demonstration seeking rollback of Citizenship Amendment Bill

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, June 20, 2017: The All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) today held a 5 hour sit-in-demonstration near Astabal Ground here on 7 point demands that include immediate rollback of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Speaking to reporters in the midst of the demonstration, INPT general secretary and ATIRPF leader Jagadish Debbarma said that despite bad weather, the protest demonstration had very good numbers.

"We have organized movement on similar agenda before and will continue to do so", Debbarma said.

Speaking about other main demands floated by the joint tribal partys' forum, he said that they demanded 100 percent reservation of jobs for tribal candidates in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), clearing of backlog of government jobs, immediate introduction of 7th Pay Commission benefits for state government employees, implementation of all agreements as per Indira-Mujib Pact, 1971, among others.

Addressing the gathering today, INPT leader and chairman of ATIRPF Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl said that their demands were totally constitutional and there were efforts to discredit the legitimate demands by creating confusion about them and their possible outcomes.

The ATIRPF was largely discredited in the recent past after the leadership fell out over participation of IPFT into the forum which had huge differences in opinions about the idea of a separate state for tribal people.

However, the leadership today sent out a strong message that the forum was very much alive and kicking and would continue to work for protection of tribal interests ahead.

TNT News

Representational image used from internet sources