Agartala: The Centre on Saturday signed the crucial tripartite agreement with the Tripura government, the opposition TIPRA Motha party and several stakeholders in New Delhi following a host of demands raised by the TIPRA Motha’s founder and chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma for the development of the state’s indigenous population, officials aware of the matter said.

The accord was signed in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, Tripura chief minister Dr Manik Saha and TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore. Former Tripura CM and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb, Tripura ministers Bikash Debbarma and Shukla Charan Noatia, and a few lawmakers were also present, said officials.

“Today is a historic day for Tripura. We paid our respect to history, corrected the mistakes and accepted today’s reality through this agreement. We have put together these three aspects and worked towards the future. No one can change history but can move forward after learning from the mistakes and keeping sight of the realities”, Shah said after the signing.

The agreement comes a year after Shah met with TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore at Agartala where the home minister appointed an interlocutor to discuss the demands of the party.

As per the agreement, a joint working group or committee would be formed to work out and resolve all issues of the tribals related to their history, land and political rights, economic development, culture, identity, language etc. All stakeholders have been asked to refrain from resorting to any kind of protest to maintain a conducive environment for the implementation of the agreement.

“I assure all stakeholders of Tripura that you won’t have to fight for your rights anymore,” Shah said.

“A series of meetings were recently held with The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance/TIPRA, popularly known as TIPRA Motha and other stakeholders, based on which, the Government of India, Government of Tripura and TIPRA agreed to amicably resolve all issues of the indigenous people of Tripura relating to history, land rights, political rights, economic development, identity, culture, language, etc. It was agreed to constitute a Joint Working Group / Committee to work out and implement the mutually agreed points on all the above-mentioned issues…..”, reads the agreement.

There have been allegations of deprivation faced by the tribals due to a demographic shift after the large settlements of the non-tribals from Bangladesh during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

Shah said that the TIPRA Motha party, all tribal parties and all organizations have played constructive roles in this.

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“Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb worked for it and present CM Dr Manik Saha also studied in detail and extended help to reach to conclusion. I am hopeful that Tripura will join PM Modi’s dream of Vikasit Bharat. When we achieve Viksit Bharat, Tripura, too, will move ahead with the rest of the country as Viksit Tripura”, said Shah.

Speaking about different accords signed under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government to achieve peace and stability in the northeastern states of India, Shah said that under the leadership of PM Modi, they have worked to make the North-East terrorism-free, dispute-free, and violence-free.

“We have spoken to different outfits. Nearly 10,000 people have laid down their arms and returned to the mainstream. The Northeast has an environment of development due to this”, said he.

Shah said that a total of 11 peace and boundary settlement agreements in the northeastern state have so far been signed.

The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) peace accord was signed in 2019 followed by the Bru migrants permanent resettlement tripartite agreement and Boro Accord in Assam in 2020; Karbi Peace Accord in Assam in 2021; Adivasi Accord and Assam-Meghalaya inter-state boundary agreement in 2022; Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-state boundary agreement; Dimasa peace accord, UNLF accord and ULFA Accord in2023.

Earlier this week, Pradyot Kishore, who has been demanding a resolution for the tribals of the state and a separate state-hood, announced the fast-unto-death at Hatai Kotor near Agartala against the “Centre’s delay in finding a constitutional solution” for the state’s tribals.

He briefly addressed the gathering and left claiming that he got a call from New Delhi that the home ministry had invited him to talk. “I am going to Delhi empty stomach and empty-handed, but shall not return empty-handed,” he told the gathering.

On Friday, CM Saha, his cabinet ministers and TIPRA Motha leaders left the state for New Delhi. Pradyot Kishore reached Agartala on Sunday.

After signing the agreement, he thanked PM Modi and Shah. “I would like to say that we have accepted the historical problems of the past and we are looking towards the future.”

“Yes, we have signed a Historical accord and we can celebrate but not too much! If we celebrate and forget what has to be done within a time frame then we have to work even more hard and be disciplined as leaders and as a community. We have to implement our land rights, funding pattern, language (script) issue, and political representation and also correct our historical and cultural pride,” he said.

He said he would reach Hatai Kotor tomorrow to meet the people and break his fast.

After leaving Congress in 2021, Pradyot Kishore floated TIPRA Motha. His party came to power in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council the same year. Later, his party emerged as the main opposition in the assembly last year with 13 legislators.