AGARTALA: Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, Royal Scion of Tripura, said on Thursday that India had the capability of dividing Bangladesh and thus creates another country.
Debbarma, who founded the Tipra Motha, was reported to have said this while delivering a Mega Solidarity Rally in support of the minority communities of Bangladesh.
He said he was not there as the leader of Tipra Motha, but that was as a family member of the Maharaja whose ancestors had once governed areas like Brahmanbaria, Khagrachari, Comilla, and Chottogram in Bangladesh.
Debbarma was said to have been disturbed by the situation of his people, who were part of Tripura seventy years ago but are now attacked. His mention of vandalism of their temples, attacks on churches, and killings of people in general did not seem to fit within the culture of Tripura or with the modern state of Bangladesh.
He thought back at the legacy of the Maharajas of Tripura who were known to have promoted religious harmony by setting up temples, mosques, and donating land to Christians. He is said also to have referenced the role of India in creating Bangladesh by dividing Pakistan, which now faces criticism.
Tradition in Tripura, he emphasized, is inclusive and welcomes puja practice as well as worshiping God, Buddha, and Christ.
He says in the present times, Muslims also protect the Hindu goddesses, and namaz continues to be offered at Raj Baari, which he says is this culture of India as well as Tripura. However, he says, "This does not seem to be followed by the people of Bangladesh.".
It is said that he commented that if it was not for Tripura, Bangladesh and the Mukti Bahini would not have existed at all. All the help Bangladesh received from India in the past was allegedly being used to raise slogans against the very country that had stood by its struggle for independence.
He said Bangladesh had claims that they had taken the Northeast and Tripura. To this he added Muslims of India would teach orientals of Bangladesh how to be genuine followers of Islam. Debbarma requested there should be a some unity in Indian government to reveal what was Bangladesh doing and bring it in line.
He further said that the present Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, as well as her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were very good friends of India, and that is why India did not speak up many times.
Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said that friendship between India and Bangladesh has lost whatever it had once shared. He warned Bangladeshis that the people of Bangladesh, if they start to pose a challenge to India, would remember that it was India which created Bangladesh dividing Pakistan and not Bangladesh dividing India on its own.
He said if Bangladesh's minorities were hurt, India would not keep silent. He said the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Sam Manekshaw would not tolerate this move and would stop it.
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