Tribal wings of Tripura Congress meet Chief Secretary, urges not to implement CAA in state

The Tripura Pradesh Congress Adivasi Committee, the indigenous wing of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee met the Chief Secretary of the state Jitendra Kumar Sinha on May 21, urging him not to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state to protect the interests of the Indigenous people of Tripura.

In a memorandum which was submitted before the CS, the Tripura Pradesh Congress Adivasi Committee said that Tripura, which is surrounded on three sides by Bangladesh and was once a princely state having tribal majority population in the state, is now reduced to a microscopic minority due to constant infiltration from erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. 

“You must appreciate that to be a minority in one's own land itself is a good ground to create a serious and sensitive sense of deprivation to the mind of the indigenous people of Tripura. Before passing of CAA, 2019, 1971 was the cut off year of residence in India for obtaining Indian Citizenship by any foreigner through accepted procedure and for that, any foreigner entering to Tripura from Bangladesh after 1971 cannot be provided Indian Citizenship and as such, there is a sense of guarantee in the mind of the indigenous people of Tripura that whatever happened is happened, but now there is no possibility of further infiltration and reducing to more minority in the state”, the memorandum reads.

They further pointed out that the Citizenship Amendment Act, (CAA) 2019 has further extended the cut off year to 31 December 2014 which means that if any foreigner from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan enters to Tripura or any part in India by 31.12.2014, he can be given Indian Citizenship.

The memorandum also reads, “If he is persecuted in those countries due to being religious minority. This Act will open new float gate and there is a possibility of foreign people more entering to Tripura, which is likely to affect the demographic condition of Tripura. It is fact that under Section 6 B of the CAA, 2019, this Act will not apply to the areas under 6th Schedule to the Constitution, but it will matter a very little, because the foreigner will enter to the non-ADC areas first and once they obtain the Citizenship Card, they are free to move anywhere in Tripura including TTAADC. If more foreigners take shelter in Tripura, it will add additional hardship to the people of Tripura in terms of economy and other issues.”

Later, they have urged the Chief Secretary not to implement the provisions of CAA, 2019 in Tripura so as to protect the interests of the Indigenous people of Tripura and the whole population of the State as a whole.

“We do hope that you will take appropriate step not to implement the CAA 2019 in Tripura”, it added.