Regional parties form united front to highlight voice of indigenous people in Northeast

New Delhi/Agartala, Nov 4 (IANS) The National People’s Party (NPP), the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), along with other regional parties and leaders from the Northeastern states, on Tuesday announced to form a new regional political front under a single banner to highlight the causes of the indigenous people of the region.

NPP supremo and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced that a nine-member committee has been constituted to work out the details of the proposed common platform within 45 days. NPP’s National Working President J. M. Sangma will be the convener, while former BJP national spokesperson and former Nagaland Minister Mmhonlumo Kikon will serve as the member secretary of the committee.

Representatives of all the parties joining the proposed platform will be members of the panel.

A joint statement was issued on Tuesday during a media briefing held at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi.

The joint statement was signed by Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP’s National President Conrad K. Sangma, TMP supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, Mmhonlumo Kikon, and Daniel Langthasa, founder of the People’s Party from Assam’s Dima Hasao district.

Reading out the statement, CM Sangma said that leaders from different Northeastern states have come together to make a “collective and historic announcement” to form a united political entity that truly represents the people of the region.

“For too long, we, the younger generation of leaders from the Northeast, have spoken about the same issues and concerns of our people, but from different platforms and political spaces. We have realised that our strength lies in unity, and that it is time to give our people one collective voice,” he said.

The NPP chief added that taking inspiration from the vision and legacy of great leaders who fought selflessly for the identity and development of the region, “we have resolved to carry forward their ideals by coming together under a shared vision for the future of the Northeast.”

The Chief Minister said that Tuesday’s announcement marks the first step towards building this common platform. He said the nine-member committee will deliberate on the future course of action, including the modalities and structure of the proposed political entity.

“Our united effort is guided by a simple conviction that the people of the Northeast deserve to be heard, respected, and represented through a strong, unified, and indigenous political voice at the national level,” the NPP head said.

He, however, categorically stated that they remain part of the present Central government.

Former Tripura royal scion and TMP’s founder-chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma said that the Northeast region requires articulation and cohesiveness. He pointed out that the region shares long international borders with several countries and can collectively raise issues such as atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.

The eight Northeastern states share a 5,437-km international boundary with China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, much of which remains unfenced, rugged, and porous.

“We have no personal or political interests. Our only concern is the interests and issues of the people of the Northeast region under a collective leadership. We will work together. We are not against any party or individual, and we will not fight against anyone,” Debbarma told the media.

The TMP is an ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, while the NPP is a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NPP, the only national party from the Northeast, has its political base and MLAs in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, besides its home state, Meghalaya.

The BJP, with two MLAs, supports the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

--IANS

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