On the final day of campaigning for the Tripura Elections, I considered taking a detour and attending the final election rally of the “Maharaja” Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma. Aided by the reside location, I guided myself to Charilam which is past the Sepahijala Zoological Park within the district.
Moving round within the election-bound state and assembly individuals who shall elect the following authorities, my intention to go to this final rally of the Bubagrah (king) was to satisfy his males (dofa), who on this Tripura elections are sometimes seen because the pressure that may transfer mountains and make rivers bend.
Draped of their conventional Rignai and Rikutu, the Risa girls, younger and outdated, got here in numbers to listen to their Bubagrah communicate. The conventional costume for girls for the decrease half of the physique is known as Rignai in Tripuri and the higher half of the material has two components Risa and Rikutu. Risa covers the chest half and the Rikutu covers the entire higher half of the physique.
There had been cut-outs of Pradyot Manikya in his dapper appears which stood tall within the crowd. There had been no chairs, not like the rallies I attended within the capital Agartala or Ambasha and Dhanpur. Almost 90% of the individuals who got here to listen to their Bubagrah had been girls who waited for hours for his or her king within the tepid mid-February midday.
Though it was a political gathering, it gave me the texture of a rock live performance because the euphoric crowd had been on their toes all by dancing to the electrical marketing campaign tune of TIPRA Motha blasting out from the massive sound techniques. Most of the songs had been in Kokborok and alien to me, however I might really feel that they had been concerning the rights of the tribal and their “One last fight”.
There had been a whole lot of individuals on either side of the slim highway resulting in the assembly floor to award Pradyot, a king’s welcome. The temper and temperament of the individuals who had been dancing until now abruptly modified when the royal scion arrived, all rushed to see him from shut, contact his toes and search the blessing of the Bubagrah.
The pulsating crowd virtually went shell-shocked when their king, wearing his favorite black squatted on the stage flooring and introduced his retirement from politics from that very second onwards. As a journalist masking the Tripura election from shut quarters, the announcement got here as a sudden bouncer from nowhere. Deciphering the assertion then and there was tough for me because it was for the Bubagrah followers. Why now? What subsequent? Who is subsequent? Questions began crisscrossing as the person on the stage tried explaining them.
“This is not my last fight but my last political speech. From today onwards you will not see Bubagrah on stage. I am hurt and I always feel that whatever I have to say as my last message, I will do it from Charilam. This place is close to my heart. Few know that I started my political career in Charilam. Today when I end my political career, I will do it from Charilam,” introduced Pradyot Maikya Debbarma.
I positively didn’t come from this, although this offers me extra substance for my article however positively not for this. Is this a calculated transfer from the King who’s spearheading a political contest within the state elections?
“Your Bubagrah after this shall not be seen in politics. I fought hard enough. From now on I shall be there doing philanthropy, open schools, blood banks, and scholarships for students, but not politics ever.”
I used to be there within the Ujjayanta Palace, the day earlier than until 11.30 pm attempting to satisfy Pradyot for a final interview earlier than the polls. There was no inkling of this coming. Instead, the palace which nonetheless wears royal majesty was full of Motha individuals, supporters and candidates doing last-minute conferences and discussions.
“My Tipra people are good, but I have found enemies everywhere. Everyone wants power, they wish to be leaders, MLAs or ministers but no one to serve people. Vested interests have clouded intentions. We are after each other’s life. I will end my political life from here. The results shall come on the 2nd and for me, it’s time to say goodbye, you people helped me a lot. This is not Rajbari’s fight but the fight for the people and their rights. They left me and even the Tripura people did not understand me.”
There had been tears rolling down the king’s cheek. He choked and fell wanting phrases to specific himself. There was a pin-drop silence within the crowd, the one factor that may very well be heard was the sound of sobbing. All had been in tears as their Bubagrah continued…“The people to whom I gave electricity, water and schools never said thank you to Bubagrah. They shout at me.” added the emotional Maharaja.
Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Deb Varma, one other member of the erstwhile royal household, is the BJP candidate from the Charilam constituency and this makes this constituency reserved for Schedule Tribe so fascinating on this election. It’s the ruling celebration taking the rising celebration head-on.
“He (Jishnu Debbarman) knows when I take a challenge, I see only dofa (community). I will not give an inch of land to him in the battle,” he stated. However, he added: “It is not a fight between the royal family… It is a fight for the poor who don’t have food, shelter and education”.
Speaking solely to News18 proper after his speech, Pradyut Manikya stated: “My mother, Rajmata nor my sister knew about this. I did what I felt was right and I have been saying so although. There was immense pressure from all quarters these days, I preferred to stand where I am. Today I am hurt, the grandson of the Manikya dynasty now needs a certificate to prove that he is not communal.”
A fast second, please…
“The family that helped and respects Rabindranath Tagore and Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose needs no certificate of not being anti-Bengali. I am there but not in politics. I will do philanthropy and be with the people in their hearts,” added Pradyot Manikya.
As the king left, this time there was no music performed from the massive loudspeakers. “One last time” was the roar from the gang that may very well be heard, lengthy after the king was gone.
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