AGARTALA, Feb 8 (TIWN): IPFT led regional Tribal outfits 12 hrs strike on wednesday flopped as it failed to escalate communal tensions. Lameduck strikers although were successful to halt the transport movements with less protesters. Moreover, a clash between CPI-M Tribal supporters and IPFT Tribal supporters has created much tensions across ADC. But State Govt has arranged tight security arrangements at ADCs which has controlled the situation till now. Reacting over the alliance of 3 regional parties CPI-M State Secretary Bijan Dhar said the 3 parties : INPT, IPFT, NCT have aligned not for any protest but just to strengthen the anti-Bengali vote banks. However, only few IPFT youths were found waving the flag of IPFT,whereas INPT, NCT youths were invisible.

Due to 12 hours strike called by unruly regional parties to disrupt railways, NH-44 and State’s transportation, State administration not taking any chances on compromising law & order situation. Police security is tighten so that no chances of clashes.

Various parties have different views regarding this strike. On January 23rd, taking to the media, Tripura State Observer Sunil Deodhar said that the issue which has been picked up by Tripura’s regional parties for 12 hours strike, is just a bogus issue. Particularly protesting against Modi govt’s call for Hindu citizenship who came before 2014’s 31stDecember, the tribal leaders said, ‘If new people stay in India, they should not come in Tripura. Tripura has much population and they should be send in places like Andaman where population is less’. Interacting with media further Deodhar said that BJP is fully against the strike and for BJP Govt 130 crores Citizens of India are equal.

In a joint move INPT, IPFT, NCT members led by IPFT leader N C Debbarma told media that protesting against the Citizenship-Bill-2016 amendment will hamper the tribals across the Country on January 15 and protesting that all the regional parties has called for a strike on Feb 8th and promised to make the strike successful together. 

The regional party leaders also further signaled for jointly fight in upcoming Elections. It’s worthy to mention here that after the youth forum of IPFT was collapsed, now the IPFT leaders trying to overcome the situation and strengthen the party.

The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura was a political party in Tripura. Formed on June 9, 1997 when the Tripura Hill People's Party and Tripura Tribal National Conference merged. Initially the Tripura National Volunteers of Bijoy Hrangkwal was supposed to merge into the IPFT, but they withdrew from the project. 

Bijoy Hrangkwal is now running INPT, which has recently demanded not a separate state, but similar things as anyone will have to carry the ‘inner permit card for entering the ADC  areas and additionally also demanded in whole Tripura 50 % reservation for STs.

But when the strike has been called apart from few IPFT members nobody were much seen. Recently allegation raised against IPFT leader N C Debbarma for taking bribes from other parties, which has further broken the peace of Regional parties.

On December 11 giving a major jolt to the imaginary Twipra Land of IPFT, the youths of IPFT have massively joined in BJP on Sunday. IPFT youth forum has been dismissed as they joined BJP led by the President of Youth IPFT Pabindra Jamatia, Working President David Murasing, Neuton Koloi had joined in BJP with an announcement declared by BJP State President Biplab Deb welcomed the youthsin the party and said to move together towards development. 

Over 12.16 lakh people, more than 90 per cent of whom are tribals,  but the IPFT rather than creating political pressure on CPI-M to improve governance in ADC areas, now chosen to play divisive politcs of strikes and demand for 'Twipra Land'.