Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday urged alliance partner Tipra Motha to avoid taking rigid stands on sensitive issues and act responsibly within the ruling coalition. He said rebellion by a “younger brother” in an alliance is neither desirable nor constructive.
Addressing a women workers’ conference of the Janajati Morcha at Baijalbari in Khowai district, Saha called for unity and better coordination among alliance partners to achieve the goal of “Ek Tripura, Srestha Tripura”.
He said he always appeals to stakeholders to adopt a constructive approach to fulfil the shared dream for the state. “Any party in alliance with us is like a younger brother, and there should be no conflict of interests. Rebellion against the elder brother does not look desirable,” he said.
Saha criticised Tipra Motha for what he termed as inconsistent political positions. He alleged that its leaders often say one thing in private and something different in public.
Referring to the ongoing debate over the script of the Kokborok language, Saha claimed Tipra Motha leaders privately admit that using the Roman script could obstruct Kokborok’s inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
He said he has repeatedly advised them to support a script rooted in the land to secure constitutional recognition for the language. He said despite this, Tipra Motha continues to insist on the Roman script and added that the government would now wait for the recommendation of the Atul Debbarma committee.
The Chief Minister also recalled earlier expert committee findings. He said the Shyama Charan Tripura committee supported the Roman script, while later committees failed to reach a definite conclusion. He said the Kumud Kundu Chowdhury panel could not complete its work, and the Pabitra Sarkar committee did not endorse any specific script.
Saha warned that undue preference for a foreign script could harm the history and cultural heritage of indigenous communities.
BJP Tripura Pradesh president Rajib Bhattacharjee, who also addressed the programme, said development in tribal areas has gained strong momentum under the double-engine government.
He said the government has allocated Rs 3,450 crore for tribal development, covering education, healthcare and infrastructure. He reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment to equitable development and said efforts are underway to ensure fair representation of tribal communities in administration and other sectors.