It’s easy to mistake Biplab Kumar Deb, 48, as an ordinary next-door neighbour.
The chief minister of Tripura betrays neither his age nor the political weight he has come to acquire since his Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition wrested power last February in this northeastern state, routing the long-entrenched Left Front. At the helm of a once insurgency-riddled state, currently plagued by underdevelopment and unemployment, Deb faces stiff challenges. But he, who not long ago regularly trained with weights in the gym, is confident that Tripura will be back in shape soon. He spoke to Editor Ruben Banerjee about his plans. Excerpts…
Your ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) is continuing to call for a separate state for tribals, the Tipraland. Are you in a position to accommodate such a demand?
It’s not like that…like every other party, IPFT has a political agenda. But when we formed an electoral alliance, we agreed on certain things. They agreed with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. People voted for this and IPFT knows this. So for now, we are busy working for the welfare of the people. Nothing else matters.
But is Tipraland, a separate tribal state carved out of Tripura, a possibility?
I cannot predict as I am no astrologer. I am an ordinary BJP worker and I am busy working for the people.
IPFT can at some point seek to rake up the issue of a separate tribal homeland for political reasons.
Denne historien er fra December 17, 2018-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 17, 2018-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Trump's White House 'Waapsi'
Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election may very well mean an end to democracy in the near future
IMT Ghaziabad hosted its Annual Convocation Ceremony for the Class of 2024
Shri Suresh Narayanan, Chairman Managing Director of Nestlé India Limited, congratulated and motivated graduates at IMT Ghaziabad's Convocation 2024
Identity and 'Infiltrators'
The Jharkhand Assembly election has emerged as a high-stakes political contest, with the battle for power intensifying between key players in the state.
Beyond Deadlines
Bibek Debroy could engage with even those who were not aligned with his politics or economics
Portraying Absence
Exhibits at a group art show in Kolkata examine existence in the absence
Of Rivers, Jungles and Mountains
In Adivasi poetry, everything breathes, everything is alive and nothing is inferior to humans
Hemant Versus Himanta
Himanta Biswa Sarma brings his hate bandwagon to Jharkhand to rattle Hemant Soren’s tribal identity politics
A Smouldering Wasteland
As Jharkhand goes to the polls, people living in and around Jharia coalfield have just one request for the administration—a life free from smoke, fear and danger for their children
Search for a Narrative
By demanding a separate Sarna Code for the tribals, Hemant Soren has offered the larger issue of tribal identity before the voters
The Historic Bonhomie
While the BJP Is trying to invoke the trope of Bangladeshi infiltrators”, the ground reality paints a different picture pertaining to the historical significance of Muslim-Adivasi camaraderie
