Sepahijala, Tripura: He greets the crowd with a ‘Khulumka (a greeting in Kokborok)’ and an ‘Assalam Walekum’. And then happily says: “Look my Tiprasa is also saying ‘Walekum Assalam’.” Later, when he is talking about the five years of the BJP misrule, Pradyot Debbarma uses the Kokborok word ‘Thokai (fraud)’. Then he appeals to the group of Muslims seated right in front of the dais, “we said ‘Walekum Assalam’, now you say ‘Thokai’.” They oblige.
Debbarma, supremo of the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA Motha), has brought the issues of the indigenous Tripuri people at the centre of this bitterly fought Assembly election in Tripura, forcing both the BJP and the Congress-Left alliance to take a tribal detour. But here in this district bordering Bangladesh where many of the voters are Muslims — as is his candidate Abu Khayer Miyan, Debbarma makes a pitch for TIPRASA Muslim unity — two communities which have traditionally stood by each other in the state.
“I have never mixed politics and religion, but there is a need to recognise the history of the land. In the whole country, tribals and minorities are made to shut up and MOTHA is the only party that can save its people…they talk religion…I am the biggest Hindu in Tripura (reference to Ma Tripureswari idol being brought to Tripura by his predecessors). My family donated land to the Suja Masjid and donated to the Church Mission Compound. We worship Kharchi (tribal goddess). Till date, there is namaz twice a week at the Ujjyanta Palace (traditional royal seat). I go to church. When a mosque was broken in Panisagar, the TIPRASA were the first to reach. I went on the road against CAA, and Congress threw me out. Did (former CM) Manik Sarkar come on the road?” he says.
Debbarma is scathing against the ruling BJP, calling the election of Droupadi Murmu as president a “lollipop” for tribals and former BJP state in charge Sunil Deodar who had promised jobs against missed calls “missed call Baba”; kind to Congress, a “good party without steam (dam)”; and pitches the Left as his main rival for anti-BJP votes. A vote for BJP is a vote wasted, he asserts.
Talking about Murmu and the slew of promises that the BJP made when it got elected, the Tripura ex-royal repeatedly uses the word ‘Thokai’ and the crowd roars it back in reply. “Remember how Vajpayee flaunted the election of APJ Abdul Kalam as president and four years later there was Godhra (2002 Gujarat riots),” he says.
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‘Will ask my kids to vote for him’
A few hundred people had been waiting for hours at the Bakshanagar mini stadium ground since noon for a glimpse of the ‘bubagra’ (king). When he finally arrives, there is a deluge of people that encircle the Debbarma as he walks towards the stage. There is a rhythmic chanting of ‘bubagra aitase (the king is coming)’. The ground fills out and the crowd spills onto the road once he reaches the stage.
The first few appeals for silence do not work. So, to calm the crowd that he repeatedly calls ‘mera Tiprasa’ (Tripuri people), Debbarma clad in all black removes his sunglasses and sits down cross legged on the dais. The crowd that has been going berserk ever since his chopper had come into sight, follows suit — on the ground. He is not happy with the mike and grabs a handheld one. As he palms it to test the sound quality, the crowd breaks out into impromptu claps in the same frequency.
There are no chairs in the meeting venue barring a handful for the security staff. Buddholokkhi Debbarma travelled three hours from Dhonirampur to catch a glimpse of the “king”. “He has done a lot of work, he has given home to the homeless. BJP did nothing. But the fact is I will vote for him this time. I will vote for him whenever he asks for it. He is the king. I will ask my children and grandchildren to vote for him. His very name makes me want to dance,” says the elderly woman, who takes a break from the conversation to shake a leg to the music that’s playing nonstop.. “Wait let me do the dance first,” she says through betel stained lips.
On the way back from the venue, Debbarma’s car makes several unscheduled stops at locations where people have assembled. He gets out, takes photos with babies and hugs the elderly even as central forces deputed for his security and his own staff members have a tough time maintaining order.
“We are only there till the district borders end but I do not know when that will be. He is making so many stops and for such a long time,” says one of the security personnel tailing him.
As Debbarma made a fairly long halt at Chelikhala, among the assembled crowd is Bijay Debbarma. “Nobody but he comes here. He did not come earlier but now he has made a few trips. This is his land,” says the old man.
That line ‘his land’ is the core of Debbarma’s electoral appeal, though his rock star persona does not hurt either. Several times during his speech he says “I love you”. The first opening “shhh” appeal for silence is something he has made his trademark and also his occasional mimicry of BJP leader and Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty.
In all the party hoardings that announce ‘phaisina tipra (this time TIPRA is coming)’, his all-black sunglasses clad photo dominates. On one side is the party symbol, the indigenous pineapple. The candidate’s photo when it appears is dwarfed by the ‘king’. The orange red flag has his face too. Debbarma ends his speech with a slogan “Chini ha chini Sashan (our land our rule).”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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