SOME ISSUES OF TRIPURA TRIBAL AREAS ADMINISTRATION
As a result of the partition of British India, Tripura suffered more than any other region in the North-East India. The economic backwardness of the former principality became obvious with the establishment of new state borders and the breaking up of traditional economic relations. The increased numbers of refugees have led to overcrowding in the agricultural areas and intensified the ethnic tensions between the Bengalis and the tribes. Due to the long struggle of indigenous peoples for their rights, Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) was created in 1979. Although autonomy was initially considered under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, according to the amendment the ADC began to function under the Sixth Schedule in 1984. The ADC area covers 68% of the state's territory, which is home to 32% of the total population of Tripura. Since its creation, the ADC has become a battleground for the major national parties. Although the Council has extensive legislative and judicial powers regarding the needs of the tribes, it has faded in the past four decades to deal with the major issue, which is the return of land occupied by the Bengalis. How the granting of autonomy has helped to smooth out ethnic conflicts can be seen from the events of recent years. In the 2021 ADC elections, the new party Tipra Motha (The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance) won the majority of seats. A key point of the programme is the creation of a new state, ‘Greater Tipraland’, under Articles 2 and 3 of the Indian Constitution.