INPT rules out relation with militants

Agartala, Oct 11: Tripura's tribal political party, Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), leaders have ruled out the allegations of its relations with the underground outfits.

Speaking at a rally here yesterday, INPT general secretary Rabindra Debbarma and president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl said the party neither believes militancy nor had taken help from the underground outfits during elections.

''Certain political parties were spreading the proganda against the INPT, which should be stopped immediately,'' Mr Hrangkhawl, president of erstwhile Tribal National Volunteer (TNV) said.

The rally organised in support of its 33-point charter of demanded establishments engineering colleges within the state Tribal Areas Autonomous Distict Council (TAADC) headquarter at Khumulawng near here, 50 per cent seat reservation for the tribals in the Assembly, introduction of Roman alphabet in Kokborok languages, more power to the TTAADC and improvement of socio-economic situation of the tribals in the hilly areas.

''CPI(M) is in power since 1993 but have done nothing for the interest of the tribals in the state instead have driven them out from the forest areas,'' they alleged.

Boro tribe MP from Asom S K Basumatari, who attended the rally, also alleged that both the state and Central governments have been ignoring the tribals for the last five years specially in the NE region and demanded to convert TTAADC into Tripura Land or Tripura Tribal Autonomous State under the consititution.

UNI