‘Maha Thakai’: Tripura Cong Leader Sudip Roy Barman Accuses BJP and Tipra Motha of Cheating the Indigenous People

Roy Barman said, “Pradyot Kishore Debbarma once earned the trust of the Tiprasa people.

In a scathing attack against the BJP and its ally Tipra Motha, senior Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman accused both parties of orchestrating a “Maha Thakai” — a grand deception — against the indigenous people of Tripura, particularly on the sensitive issue of Roman script for the Kokborok language.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Agartala on Thursday, Roy Barman dismissed the recent agitations led by Motha-supporting organizations as mere eyewash, designed to mislead the indigenous population while being complicit in the state’s imposition of the Bengali script.

Citing an RTI reply from the Directorate of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages, he revealed that in a recent meeting in early March the syllabus restructuring committee had decided to align the new curriculum for classes 9 to 12 with an “officially approved script” — a claim Roy Barman challenged, stating that no such official script for Kokborok exists.

“If there’s no officially approved script, then what’s the harm in using the Roman script which the majority of indigenous people support?” he questioned, accusing the government of using Bengali script without proper legitimacy and stifling the people’s voice.

He came down heavily on Tipra Motha, saying, “If they truly cared about the Roman script, they should pull their ministers out of the government. Otherwise, they have no right to agitate—it’s all just to fool the people.”

Calling the alliance between BJP and Tipra Motha a “Maha Thakai,” Roy Barman said, “Pradyot Kishore Debbarma once earned the trust of the Tiprasa people. But after gaining their support, he allied with a party that has consistently cheated them. Now, two cheaters have come together, and the people are facing the consequences.”

He further demanded direct central funding for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), criticizing the current dependence on state intermediaries.

“Our demand includes constitutional provisions like the 125th Amendment Bill and special statuses under Articles 371 and 371(K). ADC residents pay indirect taxes including GST—it’s their right to receive direct funds,” he asserted.

Roy Barman concluded by emphasizing that Congress is committed to raising real issues, even if it risks its vote bank. “We are not here for politics of deception. Rahul Gandhi has instructed us to work for the people, and that’s what we are doing,” he said.

Also Read: Tripura CM Manik Saha Orders Monthly Field Visits by DMs and SPs to Speed Up Public Issue Redressal

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