Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur urged the state to fulfil the late ruler’s vision of protecting Tripura’s indigenous land rights, saying tributes such as garlanding statues and offering flowers are welcome but insufficient without concrete policy action. Debbarma, a descendant of the Manikya royal family, asked when the state would translate those symbolic gestures into lasting legal protections for indigenous communities.
Debbarma recalled that Maharaja Bir Bikram introduced a 1940 law to protect tribal lands by restricting transfers to non-indigenous persons. He said that after Independence the legal framework was altered with the introduction of the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms (TLR & LR) Act, and that areas once reserved for tribal communities later became part of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
“Today, we celebrate Maharaja Bir Bikram’s birthday and seek votes in his name, but when will we fulfil his dream?” Debbarma asked, urging politicians and administrators to move beyond commemorations. He argued land ownership is fundamental to the economic and social security of indigenous people and warned that without equitable access to land, communities cannot secure a stable future.
Drawing comparisons with other parts of the Northeast — including Mizoram, Dima Hasao, the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo areas, and Nagaland — Debbarma said indigenous groups in those regions enjoy stronger protections for traditional lands. He alleged that indigenous residents of Tripura still face constraints over land rights and the granting of pattas in areas covered by the Sixth Schedule.
“If we truly want to respect Maharaja Bir Bikram, we must fulfil his dream-that not a single poor indigenous person should become landless,” he said, reiterating his vision of a united, prosperous Tripura where indigenous people live with dignity, security and constitutional protection of their land rights.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/tripura/story/pradyot-calls-for-protection-of-indigenous-land-rights-in-tripura-1439989-2026-08-19?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-08-19 14:28:00
