Northeast Desk, 22th November: Tripura’s opposition leader, Animesh Debbarma, firmly stated that his party, Tipra Motha, will strongly resist any efforts to remove tribals from their Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Debbarma’s statement follows the announcement of a ‘delisting rally’ by Janajati Suraksha Manch, an affiliate of the RSS-backed Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.
This rally aims to revoke ST status for tribals who have embraced Christianity and is set to take place on December 25 at Swami Vivekananda ground.
Expressing concern, Debbarma shared, “I’ve heard that the organization has requested permission from the state government for a rally advocating the withdrawal of ST status for tribal Christians. I sincerely hope the government denies permission,” he conveyed during a press conference. Emphasizing that reservation is not based on religion or color, Debbarma affirmed that Tipra Motha will vehemently oppose the rally and initiate an extensive campaign across the state.
“This appears to be an effort to sow discord among people based on religion. As long as India upholds its secular values, no one should be able to revoke ST status from those who have embraced Christianity,” he concluded.
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