“Unity will show the path to solving problems, said the leaders at the Thansa rally.”

Recently, in a press conference held in Delhi, a message of unity was announced under the banner “One North East” for the indigenous communities of the northeastern region. Within just a month of that announcement, its journey began on Thursday in Agartala through a massive public rally. A tribal-based political party filled the entire Swami Vivekananda Ground simply by spreading this message of unity. There is no doubt that this rally was the largest ever called by any tribal political party.

At the rally, various issues faced by the tribal communities of the state were raised, along with the slogan One North East. The Swami Vivekananda Ground reverberated with this slogan. Among those present were TIPRA Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, and leaders of other tribal-based political parties from the northeastern region.

While addressing the rally, TIPRA Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma said that when Congress or CPI(M) hold rallies in Agartala, no objections are raised. But whenever Motha organizes an event, it gets cancelled. He asserted that this will not continue for long. Today’s unity has shown that. He further said that national parties have no regard for the people of Tripura. National parties have destroyed the Asom Gana Parishad, the Shiromani Akali Dal, and similarly have crushed the Biju Janata Dal and Shiv Sena. “So defeat the national parties, and you will see them speaking out of fear,” he said. Quoting Gabbar Singh’s famous dialogue from the movie Sholay, he said, “Jo darr gaya, woh marr gaya”—so don’t be afraid. “We may not have money or administrative power today, but One North East now stands with us.”

Addressing the gathering, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma echoed the Motha supremo, singing the same song of unity. He said, “The path we are about to walk is a difficult one. That must not be forgotten. But if we remain united, solutions will emerge even on this difficult path.” He added, “So let us stay united and move forward with our heads held high.”

Among others who spoke at the rally was Minister Animesh Debbarma. Since morning, tribal workers and supporters from various parts of the state had begun gathering in Agartala for the event. Following Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s instructions, there were no slogans raised during their march in the capital — their sole destination was Swami Vivekananda Ground.

The state police had arranged strong security measures for the rally. Drones were deployed in the sky to monitor the security situation. Overall, the “Thansa Rally” concluded peacefully, dispelling all apprehensions.