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BJP Ally IPFT Launches Indefinite Stir Against CAA, Presses for ‘Tipraland’

The party vowed to continue the demonstration until the Centre takes a positive step.

Agartala: The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the ruling BJP in the state on Monday launched an indefinite sit-in against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) near the headquarters of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, about 25 km from here.

The party also pressed for a separate Tipraland by carving out of the tribal council from the state which constitutes two-thirds of the state territory.

IPFT spokesperson Mangal Debbarma said, “The demonstration will continue till the Centre takes a positive step. We want either the scrapping of the act or exempting entire Tripura from its purview”.

IPFT general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatia said, “Though our alliance partner, the BJP does not agree with our stand we will continue our agitation unless an amicable solution is achieved.”

“We feel achieving separate Tipraland is the ultimate solution to end the tribal angst in the state”, said Jamatia, who is also the Tripura tribal affairs minister said.

The party’s leaders said different tribal bodies had met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on December 12, 2019, soon after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in parliament and he had assured them that he would make sure that the tribals are protected in the state. But nothing was communicated to them so far.

“The Centre and many government agencies have confirmed that there are illegal immigrants in Tripura and if the CAA is implemented here, it would harm the interests of the indigenous people,” party president N.C. Debbarma told reporters.

Debbarma, who is also the state revenue minister, said after partition many non-tribals had entered Tripura from the then East Pakistan and the tribals, who were then in majority, were reduced to a minority.

They would be further alienated if the CAA is implemented and foreign nationals are allowed to settle here taking the advantage of Act, he said.

Meanwhile, a joint forum of three tribal political parties and different social organisations announced a series of agitations from Tuesday to press for the scrapping of Act and also opposed the proposed nationwide NRC.

The Joint Movement Against CAA (JMACAA), a joint forum of three tribal political parties and social organisations, announced a series of agitations from Tuesday.

JMACAA too had met Shah on December 12 in New Delhi and had sought his approval for exempting Tripura from the ambit of CAA.

JMACAA convener Anthony Debbarma said on Monday that Shah had assured them a second round of discussions to reach an amicable solution.

We also met Union minister of state for home affairs G. Kishan Reddy for further correspondence and twice held meetings with Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, but are yet to receive any positive indications for a solution to the problem.

“We cannot wait for an indefinite period, so we decided to launch our movement,” he told reporters on Monday.

The constituents of JMACAA are Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), Tripura Students Federation (TSF) and Borok Peoples Human Right Organisation.

Army Red Flags Home Ministry’s Proposal to Take Full Control of Assam Rifles

At present, the home ministry has administrative authority over the paramilitary force while the Army has operational control.

New Delhi: The Army has red-flagged the home ministry’s proposal to take operational control of the Assam Rifles, saying that it would have serious national security implications including adversely impacting vigil over India’s disputed border with China.

Strongly opposing the move, the Army has instead sought overall responsibilities of guarding the entire Sino-India border in the Eastern sector to effectively deal with any Chinese transgression, top military sources told PTI. At present, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) patrols several segments of the border.

The sources, concerned over the proposal by the home ministry to take operational control of the nearly 185 years old Assam Rifles, said that the Army has taken up the issue with the defence ministry last week seeking its immediate intervention in the matter. At present, the home ministry has the administrative authority over the paramilitary force Assam Rifles while the Army has its operational control.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is likely to examine the home ministry’s proposal to merge the Assam Rifles with the ITBP and bring overall operational control under it. “Shifting the operational control of the Assam Rifles from the Army to the home ministry will severely jeopardise the surveillance along the Line of Actual Control with China,” a top military official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The sources said that the views of the Army’s top commanders on the matter have already been conveyed to the defence and security brass of the government.

The nearly 55,000-strong Assam Rifles has been guarding India’s 1,640-km long border with Myanmar besides providing operational and logistics support to the Army in keeping a strict vigil in several key sectors along the Sino-India boundary in Arunachal Pradesh. The Assam Rifles, which was raised in 1835, has also been carrying out counter-insurgency operations in militancy-infested states in the Northeastern region.

Sources said that the home ministry has already prepared a draft note to be presented at the CCS seeking total control of the Assam Rifles.

The Army feels that the Assam Rifles provides significant assistance in keeping strict surveillance over the border with China as it frees up Army units from “static defensive” role. Moreover, 70-80% personnel of the Assam Rifles are deployed in conventional military roles.

Also read: Separate Flag, Constitution Key for ‘Honourable’ Peace Solution: Naga Group

“The Assam Rifles fills the void when Army units carry forward the battle to the enemy territory. This is the only genuine paramilitary force which actively participated in all the wars since Independence including the 1962 and 1971 wars,” said a senior Army official.

The Assam Rifles, at present, has a total of 46 battalions, and most of its units are headed by Army officers since 1884. The Assam Rifles was put under the complete operational control of the Army in 1965.

The two-thirds of the overall composition of the training imparted to the Assam Rifles personnel are based on conventional warfare so that they can help the Army in times of war, the official said.

The Army has also questioned the timing of the proposal to bring the paramilitary force under the home ministry when the security scenario in the Northeastern region has been fragile due to the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“The ongoing peace talks with Naga insurgent groups is at an advanced stage. There is a growing apprehension among people of Manipur and Assam regarding the possible impact of any agreement between the Centre and the NSCN(IM). The NRC updating process is also likely to cause some turbulence,” said the official.

Certificate Issued by Panchayat Secretary Can Be Used for Claiming Citizenship Under NRC: SC

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman set aside the order of the Gauhati High Court by which it had invalidated these certificates for claiming citizenship.

On November 22, the apex court had said that the certificate of residency issued by the gram panchayat is not a document of citizenship. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said that certificates issued by panchayat secretary or an executive magistrate can be used for claiming citizenship if they have been issued after conducting proper enquiries.

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R.F. Nariman set aside the order of the Gauhati high court by which it had invalidated these certificates for claiming citizenship.

It also said that the certificates issued by gram panchayat secretary can be a proof of citizenship provided they have details of family linkages.

On November 22, the apex court had said that the certificate of residency issued by the gram panchayat is not a document of citizenship and is “meaningless” unless supported by some other valid record to make a claim for inclusion in the National Register of Citizenship (NRC).

The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Gauhati high court order holding that a certificate of residency issued by gram panchayat (village council) secretary was not a legal and valid document for a claim to citizenship.

About 48 lakh claims have been made using certificates issued by gram panchayat secretaries, out of a total of 3.29 crore claims made so far for inclusion in the NRC which is being prepared in Assam to identify undocumented migrants.