- "We are on track to create a new idea for the northeast," Pradyot Kishore Debbarma said.
- He said the One North East platform has gained momentum following a recent, successful meeting
- The meeting was attended by leaders from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura.
Less than a month since several parties in the northeast announced they will be forming the One North East political bloc so that the region can speak in one voice, Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma said on Saturday that the alliance has made substantial progress and could reshape indigenous politics at both the regional and national levels.
Debbarma, whose party is an alliance partner of the BJP in Tripura, said the platform has gained momentum following a recent, successful meeting attended by leaders from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura.
He also announced that a massive rally will be held at the Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala on Thursday, which will see several regional leaders, including Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, in attendance.
"We are on track to create a new idea for the northeast which will speak for the entire region from a single point of view," he said.
Pradyot dismissed talk of Tipra Motha merging with Sangma's National People's Party (NPP), clarifying that the objective is to build a shared platform without sacrificing individual identities.
"We have been very clear that the goal is to create a new identity - one that emerges when different organisations come together and shape a collective idea. This is not about merging into a single party or losing our individuality. We are taking concrete steps to work jointly and speak with one voice. No one is trying to erase anyone's identity. Instead, we want to strengthen each other so we can stand on a shared platform and speak as one," he stated.
The Tipra Motha chief said the collaborative process involves discussions on a new common identity, ideology, policy, name, and even flag, noting that the issues of the people must take priority over political labels. "The problems of the people are more important than having a signboard," he remarked.
Debbarma argued that a united stance would make New Delhi more attentive to the concerns of indigenous communities. "Delhi doesn't have the time to meet ten people from different states saying the same thing. If we speak in one voice for everyone, then Delhi will also have to hear us out," he said, adding that leaders across the region have been repeatedly raising common demands such as land rights and ILP (Inner Line Permits), but separately.
