Explained: What is ‘Greater Tipraland’ and why are tribal outfits in Tripura pushing for it

Why in news?

The demand has grown louder to carve out a separate state of 'Greater Tipraland' for the indigenous communities in Tripura under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

What is the demand?

• Several tribal outfits and indigenous communities of the north-eastern state of Tripura demand for a separate state of Greater Tipraland.
• The indigenous communities in the region is demanding a separate state as “survival and existence” was at stake.
• Among the 19 notified Scheduled Tribes in Tripura, Tripuris (aka Tipra and Tiprasas) are the largest.
• According to the 2011 census, there are at least 5.92 lakhs Tripuris in the state, followed by Reangs (1.88 lakhs) and Jamatias (83,000).
• They want the Centre to carve out the separate state under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

• Article 2 of the Constitution deals with admission or establishment of new states.
• “Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions, as it thinks fit,” it states.
• Article 3 comes into play in the case of “formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States” by the Parliament.

How did the demand originate?

• Tripura was a kingdom ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the late 13th century until the signing of the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government on October 15, 1949.
• The demand mainly stems from the change in the demographics of the state.
• The indigenous communities were reduced to a minority due to the displacement of Bengalis from the erstwhile East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971.
• Their population reduced from 63% in 1881 to 31% by 2011.
• They have also been dislodged from land reserved for them by the penultimate king of the Manikya dynasty Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman.
• In the intervening decades, ethnic conflict and insurgency gripped the state, which shares a nearly 860-km long boundary with Bangladesh.

What has been done to address the grievances of indigenous communities?

• The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) was formed under the sixth schedule of the Constitution in 1985 to ensure development and secure the rights and cultural heritage of the tribal communities.
• The TTADC, which has legislative and executive powers, covers nearly two-third of the state’s geographical area.
• The council comprises 30 members of which 28 are elected while two are nominated by the Governor.
• Also, out of the 60 Assembly seats in the state, 20 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
• However ‘Greater Tipraland’ envisages a situation in which the entire TTADC area will be a separate state.
• It also proposes dedicated bodies to secure the rights of the Tripuris and other aboriginal communities living outside Tripura.

Reference

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/greater-tipraland-tribal-outfits-protest-tripura-7654530/