To detect illegal migrants of Bangladesh and Rohingya people, Tipra Motha on Wednesday met Election Commission (ECI) officials in New Delhi to push for a special intensive amendment of the Bihar-style of electoral rolls in Tripura.
Tipra Motha founder Prideot Kishore Debarma wrote on X, “Today Tipra Motha delegation met ECI officials in Delhi, who to press for the implementation of special intensive amendment (sir) in Tripura. Illegal migration is not identifying our state and north -east. Including Tripura, including Tripura”.
Pridotot later became live on social media in the evening and said, “I am not against the citizens of any religion. My single idea is that if illegal people of Bangladesh or Myanmar keep coming to Tripura and become a legal Indian, then we do not identify people to get respect cards, even when we do not become a part of India, we did not become a part of India and we have not entered India.
In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanash Kumar, Tipra Motha delegation headed by Prideot said that there had been significant changes in the demographic composition of Tripura in the last several decades, increasing the possibility between indigenous population and other weak communities about his political and cultural rights erosion.
No cut-off year is mentioned
The step comes a week after the BJP -led government formed special work forces in districts to identify and deport illegal migrants. Chief Minister Manik Saha has said that the drive will only be applicable to those entering India after December 2014, as the people earlier will be recognized as per the Citizenship Amendment Act. Tipra Motha, a BJP colleague, has not mentioned the date of any cut-off for his demand.
Sources in the tribal party say that they are most likely for 1971, which was a cut-off year according to the Indira Mujib Treaty for Indian citizenship for people from East Pakistan.
Drawing the attention of the Commission on the 856 km long border of Tripura with Bangladesh, most of which are porous and insufficiently formed, Tipra Motha delegation stated that the state faced a “serious challenge” in monitoring and stopping the state.
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“The uncontrolled flow of unspecified immigrants has not only disrupted the socio-economic balance of the region, but has also led to the weakening of the electoral rolls, threatening democratic rights of indigenous tribal communities and to reduce the electoral fairness. And with the help of corrupt officials, local brokers and political strong people, in some cases, they are the second place in some cases, they have a place of records (Ror) records in some cases, with the help of corrupt officials and political strong people. Have managed to move for electoral benefits.
‘1,48,000 illegal voters in 2012’
The Motha delegation also cited an incident from September 2012, where about 1,48,000 illegal voters were identified in Tripura. Although the then Election Commissioner Vinod Saxena directed the authorities to improve the electoral rolls, the instructions were never taken action, and the discrepancies continued informally uncontrolled, according to the delegation.
The delegation also cited the census data from 1971 to 1991 to argue that Tripura had experienced the rate of population growth above the national average during that period. “The pattern continues even today and is seen in various demographic and electoral indicators,” read in its letter.
Saying that his concerns were not “statistical or bureaucratic”, Tipra Motha said that the integrity of electoral rolls in Tripura is tied to the impartiality of representation in the directly determined tribe-reserved constituencies. The tribal party also claimed that the great objective of reservation for tribal communities was being reduced and the indigenous population was being marginalized in both governance and policy-making.
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‘Risk of political misuse’
Expressing concerns about “the risk of political misuse” of the “flawful” electoral rolls, the delegation urged the ECI to conduct special intensive amendments to the Bihar-style using independent trained personnel from local political and administrative influences.
Pridot further stated that 52 lakh people were excluded according to the special amendment of Bihar and Tripura should not become the next West Bengal, where the BJP accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of softening of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to provoke its Muslim voters.
The Trinamool Congress has alleged that special intensive amendments are being organized in Bihar, the “real goal” is West Bengal, where Saffron Party has not come to power.
The Trinamool Congress also criticized the National Register of Citizens Exercise in Assam.
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