Agartala, Aug. 6: The CPM has effected a thorough overhaul of the leadership in its tribal front, the Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP), bringing in several new faces.
At the 21st conference of the Parishad at Khumlung, which concluded yesterday, East Tripura MP and former state forest and rural development minister, Jiten Choudhury, was elected president, while Radhacharan Debbarma, the chief executive member of ADC, became the new general secretary.
The four new vice-presidents are ADC chairman Ranjit Debbarma, Sabitri Debbarma, minister for fisheries Khagendra Jamatya and Kanchanpur MLA Rajendra Reang. The four new joint secretaries are MLAs Pranab Debbarma and Padmakumar Debbarma, minister Naresh Jamatya and ADC member Jagadish Debbarma. A new 143-member central committee, including 18 women, has been constituted. Senior leaders like Niranjan Debbarma, Narayan Rupini, tribal welfare minister Aghore Debbarma and seven-time party MP Bajuban Reang, who was the president of the organisation for many years, have been dropped.
The new leadership raised a demand for separate funding of ADC though it was not clear whether they were demanding direct central funding. "Let the question of separate funding be settled and then we will see if funds are given directly to ADC by the Centre," general secretary Radhacharan Debbarma told reporters last night. The CPM has had an ambivalent attitude towards the central funding demand.
Chowdhury said altogether 21 resolutions were passed during the conference. "We will continue our political programmes on the basis of these resolutions to politically fight divisive policies and slogans of the regional IPFT. We are sure of our position since 2.22 lakh families, among 12 lakh indigenous community of Tripura, are members of the Parishad," he said.
Chowdhury did not rule out the possibility of a tribal leader becoming the next chief minister. "When the time comes, a decision will be taken. Legendary tribal leader Dasharath Deb became the chief minister in 1993. In future, another tribal leader could very well assume the responsibility. At the moment, this is not an issue of concern."
He expressed confidence that the byelection to the ADC constituency Simna-Tamakari scheduled for August 23 will be won by the party candidate Kumud Debbarma.
