Ranjit Debbarma, former chief of the outlawed All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and current MLA from the Ramchandraghat assembly constituency, stated on Friday that implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would undermine the previous peace accord signed with rebel organizations. According to Debbarma, the ATTF peace agreement, signed in 1993, included a consensus with the state government to identify and deport anyone who had illegally entered Tripura after March 25, 1971.
Debbarma remarked, “If the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 is implemented in Tripura, the ATTF agreement stands null and void. As per the new citizenship rules, the new cut-off for citizenship is 2014. In Assam, the commitments made in the AGP agreement are still being protected and hence CAA is not applicable there. The Assam government has also conducted the NRC exercise to make sure that the illegal infiltrators could be identified. We have a simple demand that considering all these factors, CAA should not be implemented here.”
A group of surrendered militants led by Debbarma recently met with the Governor of Tripura, Indrasena Reddy Nallu, at Raj Bhavan, presenting a detailed memorandum explaining the historical context of the peace accords signed with various banned outfits. Debbarma added, “People who have surrendered from different armed groups floated an organization called Tripura United Indigenous People’s Council (TUIPC). When we met the governor of Tripura, we raised multiple issues that the surrendered militants have been facing barring the issue of CAA.”
Debbarma also highlighted that the inner line permit, a key aspect of the peace accords, had never been implemented in Tripura. He noted, “In Manipur, the inner line permit system exists, but here it was never introduced. Moreover, members of militant groups who surrendered before other central government agencies such as CRPF, Assam Rifles and BSF were not recognized by the Special Branch of Tripura Police which is why they were deprived of the benefits and schemes of the state government which were formulated to rehabilitate the militants involved in the insurgent movement.”
The insurgency in Tripura lasted for more than two decades, with terror groups like the NLFT and ATTF considered the most dreaded organizations.