The Opposition — Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) — has called for legislation in the ADC to make the customary laws applicable.
But the ruling CPM has opposed it on the ground that the set of customary laws will directly “infringe upon the democratic process and long-accustomed way of life” of the tribal communities.
An official source in the ADC said a committee, appointed by the ADC authority under the stewardship of tribal scholar B.K. Debbarma, had listed and codified the customary laws of all 19 communities after a five-year exercise.
“The entire codified set of laws were submitted to the ADC authority early this month and parties like the IPFT and INPT who have no representation in the present council of ADC have raised demand for legislation so that they can be made applicable to the tribal population,” a source said.
However, the CPM, which currently holds complete sway over the ADC, has opposed bringing in a legislation to make the customary laws application.
Senior CPM tribal leader and executive member of ADC, Radhacharan Debbarma, said the laws were in vogue in the distant past when the tribal communities of Tripura were in a state were lagging behind.
But over the past six decades, the scenario has changed and these laws have long ago been superseded by the laws of the land, he added.
“The tribals of Tripura have come a long way through education, economic development and are contributing to all spheres of life. How can you revive for them a set of laws, which were discarded long back? Besides, enforcing them will create serious obstacles in the course of development,” said Debbarma.
However, senior leader of IPFT, K.C. Debbarma, said his party would press for a legislation on enforcement of customary laws.
“This is needed to preserve and protect the distinctive identity of the tribals of the state. Since the entire set of laws has been codified we have a scope for picking and choosing. We may discard the anachronistic and obsolete ones but persist with the ones that are still valid,” said Debbarma.