Illegal migration has gravely altered the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the Tripura socio-political landscape. Cultural dominance by Bengalis is leading to political instability and creating an identity crisis amongst the aboriginal peoples. Facing near extinction, as the indigenous Twiprasa Borok people’s population decreases from 93 per cent in 1947 to 19 per cent in 2020, delegates, activists and volunteers of the Tripura People’s Front led by its firebrand leader Ms Patal Kanya Jamatia recently gathered at Jantar Mantar Delhi to voice their concerns and protest illegal immigration from Bangladesh across the Tripura-Bangladesh border. The spirited protest shouting slogans including, “Our Land Our Right” saw the participation of Sikh, Tamil and civil rights activists supporting their cause. WSN editor Jagmohan Singh reports and analyses the impact of the protest.

Marching through the streets around Jantar Mantar in traditional colourful Twiprasa dresses, holding Red, White and Blue colour placards extolling their rights and protestations, shouting slogans “Our Land Our Right”, “Bangladeshi infiltrators Go back”, “Implement NRC in Tripura”, the Borok peoples of Tripura held a spirited demonstration to express anxiety and concern about their survival illegal against illegal immigrants Bengali dominance, which has grossly impacted their social life, political reach and economic status.

Ruing the fact that nothing has happened since 2014 when the Tripura People’s Front has started petitioning Indian and Tripura authorities, this socio-political movement submitted a memorandum to the President of India -Ram Nath Kovind, demanding President’s rule in Tripura ahead of the assembly elections scheduled 18 months from now. 

Speaking to her people in their mother tongue -Kokborok, which is now second-language in their own homeland, TPF leader Patal Kanya Jamatia said, “We are a proud indigenous Twiprasa Borok people, who were living with their distinct identity in a natural ecosystem with a holistic lifestyle in harmony and peace for centuries are now struggling for survival as the demographics of their homeland has been seriously hampered with illegal Bangladeshi infiltration. In 1947 we were 93 per cent of the total population and now are a mere 19 per cent.”

Speaking exclusively to The World Sikh News, Patal Kanya said, “Our main worry today is that the situation is steadily leading to restlessness amongst the indigenous population and is likely to degenerate into strife between the two sections of society in the state of Tripura.”

Talking about a solution to the impasse, she told WSN that, “Immediate intervention of the Union government to stop illegal participation of all outsiders in all Tripura Elections and initiation of concrete and time-bound steps to set up an effective mechanism for detecting and deporting lakhs of migrants living illegally in Tripura will the beginning of the confidence-building process. Nothing short of that will suffice for our people.”

“As democracy is all about numbers, our very democratic functioning is in peril. Out of the 60 Assembly constituencies, 40 constituencies are for illegal immigrants and only 20 constituencies for the Scheduled Tribes reservation. Even in the 20 reserved seats, only in 8 seats, the indigenous population are more than the outsiders,” said Ms Patal Kanya Jamatia.

Appealing to civil society across the country, Patal Kanya affirmed that “for free and fair elections, Tripura People’s Front demands that the electoral rolls of Tripura for all elections from the local bodies to the Assembly constituencies must be revised through NRC implementation and removal of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

Political analyst, commentator and civil rights activist Dr Kumar Sanjay Singh of Delhi University expressed solidarity with the indigenous people of Tripura and underlined the need for better and effective coordination and cooperation amongst the regional and linguistic movements of the North East.  

Speaking to WSN, Kumar Sanjay Singh said, “Demographic imbalance can totally destroy the culture of any indigenous people and their holistic ecology. The Borok people are at the receiving end today and deserve the support of civil society and other struggling nationalities.”

The memorandum to the President of India by the TPF points out that, “To this day, there is unabated infiltration from across the Tripura-Bangladesh border. For sinister demographic reasons and to suppress the rights of the indigenous peoples of Tripura, the Union government and the Tripura governments have collided to provide citizenship papers, Aadhar identity cards, Ration cards, Voter cards and all other documentation to enable them to become citizens. The obtaining of the right to vote has serious long-range ramifications to the Tripwasa Borok People’s existence and survival.”

During my trip to Tripura two years ago, I learnt that the situation in Tripura is indeed so ironic that first-generation and second-generation foreigners have become Members of the State Assembly, Ministers in Tripura and at the Union level and even the Chief Minister of the state. Ordinary villagers whom I spoke to pointed out the present Chief Minister of the state has Bangladeshi origins.  The Bangladeshi immigrants have also joined the police and paramilitary forces, who invariably act to the detriment of the original local population as they do not identify with the local peoples. The roads of Agartala are dotted with Bengali billboards. 

During my visit to the interiors of the villages, I experienced strong resistance amongst the indigenous peoples and a determination to win back their rights. 

Demographic imbalance can totally destroy the culture of any indigenous people and their holistic ecology. The Borok people are at the receiving end today and deserve the support of civil society and other struggling nationalities.”

Dr Kumar Sanjay Singh, Civil rights activist, political commentator

Activist-editor Parmjeet Singh of Sikh Siyasat, joining the protest with a 5-member delegation from Punjab, emphasized the commitment of the Sikhs to stand with the oppressed and marginalised people endorsed the right of the Twiprasa Borok people to uphold their right to life, culture, language, distinct identity and their motherland. He went to the extent of saying, 

“No law or constitution of any country can take away these basic rights which is a birthright. I salute the Borok people for their drive and commitment. There cannot be a uniform solution for a diversified sub-continent and solution lies in the devolution of power and rights to the regional people,” he added. 

Tamil National Movement leader -Maniasaran, joining the protest through Zoom shared with the audience, “We stand with the indigenous people and the Tripura People’s Front. Tamils in the South are also being governed by those who are not native Tamils.”

Tamil nationality party -Naam Tamilar Katchi representative Jeeva Dawning, representing the party promised support to the Tripura People’s Front.  He promised that Tamils will continue to maintain live liaison with the indigenous people of Tripura and support them.  

“The crux of the matter is that the government of India, through acts of commission and omission, has allowed the wounds on the indigenous Tripwasa Borok people to fester and grow and now it has become a huge Frankenstein monster that requires immediate handling and intervention, otherwise it will become unmanageable leading to strife, struggle and pain to all sections of society.”

Patal Kanya Jamatia, President, Tripura Peoples Front

“We have also to bear in mind that there are brothers and sisters in other parts of the country who are also engaged in a struggle for their rights and it is our collective duty to highlight their problems and support them also,” added Dawning Jeeva.

Delhi-based activist Gurmeet Singh scored the importance of patience for success. He emphasized the need to work for electoral gains by working on the ground at the village and block levels. Praising the hard-working Tripura People’s Front leader Patal Kanya Jamatia and the spirit of the participants at the protest, who came all the way from across Tripura, Gurmeet Singh exhorted the party to develop younger leaders and reach out to the world for the rights of the indigenous peoples. 

Determined yet distraught at the suppression of her people, Patal Kanya said, “Though our indigenous Twiprasa Borok society was self-sufficient, now there are conflicts with outsiders over scarce resources and economic opportunities.  Our original habitat of forests is under strain, the indigenous Borok people are alienated and it has led to environmental degradation and exploitation of forest resources.”

“No law or constitution of any country can take away these basic rights which is a birthright. “

Parmjeet Singh, editor Sikh Siyasat, political and environmental activist

Ms Patal Kanya and her entire team and volunteers expressed deep gratitude to all Sikh, Tamil and civil rights activists who came forward to support the cause of the indigenous Twiprasa Borok people of Tripura. She expressed particular thanks to the Sikh community for arranging accommodation and Langar for volunteers from Tripura. 

One of the few women leaders from the Northeast, Ms Patal Jamatia, worried about the fact that her people are second class citizens in their own homeland, concluded by warning,  “The crux of the matter is that the government of India, through acts of commission and omission, has allowed the wounds on the indigenous Tripwasa Borok people to fester and grow and now it has become a huge Frankenstein monster that requires immediate handling and intervention, otherwise it will become unmanageable leading to strife, struggle and pain to all sections of society.”