Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) founder Pradyot Manikya on Thursday sought to unite regional parties of the North East in a bid to boost the region's bargaining power.
Addressing the 'One North East Unity' rally in Tripura, they claimed that regional parties have little value to the national leaders.
Thursday's rally was organised around three weeks after leaders from various states of the North East jointly declared on November 4 in New Delhi that they would form a single political entity in the next 45 days to raise issues of the region.
"It's straightforward, when we are individuals, and we are not united in one way. Obviously, our voice is suppressed and sometimes not heard, and we are weaker when we are alone. This is nothing to do with anybody else or trying to go against anybody. This is purely about bringing all of us together. So, we are looking to bring our voice, our concerns, our strength together and stand together for our issues. Ensuring that nobody feels they are alone. I am pleased to see the response we are getting," Conrad Sangma, Meghalaya Chief Minister, told reporters.
"I'm sure that this will make a very positive impact because leaders from different states, from different communities and different political parties are coming together to join us. This will give a strong message to the country that the indigenous people of the region are coming together and are going to work, fight together for the future generation and the present also," Sangma said.
The rally focused on long-standing demands including land rights protection, implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in non-ILP states, and greater indigenous autonomy.
Speakers emphasised that these issues, repeatedly raised individually by various northeastern groups, require coordinated pressure to achieve meaningful policy change.
The event marked a significant attempt to consolidate regional influence under a common platform
Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Manikya said,"Now the time has come for the indigenous people of the northeast to speak in one voice for our future and next generation and also for our revival and existence."
The Tipra Motha chief further said his dream of 'Greater Tipraland', a slogan which had played a key role in the TMP's rise in the state's political landscape during the 2023 Assembly elections, will be achieved sooner or later.
"Today we may not achieve Greater Tipraland, but we will get it five years or ten years later," he said.
People's Party (Assam) leader Ajoy Edwards, Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front founder RK Meghan, and several other regional leaders joined the rally.
