Agartala, Oct 14: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Saturday made a clarion call to the people of North East to stand united to protect their identity, land, culture and customs.
Addressing a mega rally at Khumulwng in Tripura, on the invitation of TIPRA Motha party, which was attended by thousands, Sangma assured the tribal communities of Tripura that he empathizes with their concerns and stands in solidarity with them.
“I want to tell my brethren in Tiprasa that your sorrows and worries, your difficulties, the different issues raised by you… I have come here to support you and work with you,” he said.
Referring to the demand of Greater Tipraland for the tribals of Tripura, and even addressing the gathering as Tiprasa, he urged them not to give up on their demand. He asked them to continue with their work towards their demand so that their future generations can reap the benefits of their hard work.
Acknowledging the contributions of different leaders of the North East in raising the issues and challenges faced by the indigenous communities of the region at different platforms and levels, he said, “Different leaders from different parts of the North East have raised the issues of region at various platforms… their paths, ways and approach may have been different but their objective was the same.”
Following on their footsteps, he said contemporary leaders also need to voice the concerns of the North East’s indigenous communities, to safeguard their land, ideologies, culture, and future generations.
At the same time, he stressed that they are not against anybody and the region wants to walk alongside with the rest of India. “We want to work with everyone and move forward together. But if there is an attempt to seize our precious land, alter our customs and culture, jeopardize our youth’s future, or harm our mothers and sisters, if there is any endeavor to destroy the future of our upcoming generation, then we will not remain silent. We will never accept such a thing,” he asserted.
Sangma further underscored the unbreakable bond among the diverse indigenous communities of the North East and impressed upon the gathering for unity for their mutual strength and support. “We may have different languages but we have a connection, we have a link that we cannot break and that is why we must stay together, we must support each other. So, when it is an issue of Tiprasa, we, the rest of the communities from the NE, must be with you, support you, walk with you, and work with you,” he said.
He also reflected on the democratic set-up of India where numbers are important for voices to carry weight. “If we are divided, become smaller in numbers, we will fall down. We live in a democracy, so the numbers matter to us; our unity is very important, and we must support each other,” he urged.
