Imphal: Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, the 186th king and current head of the erstwhile Royal House of Tripura, visited Imphal on Friday and held in-depth discussions with former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and other senior legislators.
The meeting focused on pressing regional issues, particularly the growing challenges of illegal immigration and land encroachment in both Manipur and Tripura.
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Pradyot Manikya, widely known as ‘Bubagra’ and the founding chairman of the TIPRA Motha Party, is a prominent voice advocating for the rights and identity of Tripura’s indigenous communities, the Tiprasas. During his visit, he met with N. Biren Singh at the latter’s residence in Heingang, where the two leaders reportedly discussed regional cooperation and shared strategies to address migration-related concerns.
In a post on social media platform X, N. Biren Singh wrote:
“It was an honour to host the founder and leader of the TIPRA Motha Party, Maharaja Shri @PradyotManikya Ji, at my residence.
Manipur and Tripura share deep historical ties and a cordial relationship that continues to this day. As both our states face the pressing challenges of illegal immigration and encroachment, we discussed ways to work together to address these concerns.
I am inspired by his steadfast commitment to the people of Tripura and the Northeast. Together, we will prevail.”
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Several political leaders from Manipur attended the meeting, including BJP MLAs Govindas Konthoujam, Kh Ibomcha, RK Imo Singh, Sapam Kunjakeswar, and NPP MLA Thongam Shantakumar. The participants welcomed Pradyot Manikya warmly and expressed shared concerns over the impact of unregulated immigration on indigenous communities in both states.
The meeting also highlighted the longstanding historical and cultural ties between Manipur and Tripura, rooted in centuries of matrimonial alliances and cultural exchanges. In the 18th and 19th centuries, royal and non-royal marriages between the two regions strengthened social bonds and fostered mutual respect between the kingdoms.
Both Manipur and Tripura were princely states before their formal merger with the Indian Union in October 1949. They became full-fledged states on January 21, 1972.
The discussions come amid renewed calls by the TIPRA Motha Party for stronger central intervention on the issue of illegal immigration, especially in Tripura. The party has previously urged the Prime Minister to take decisive steps to safeguard the rights and demographic integrity of the indigenous population.