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A record of success and stability in Tripura

” — Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Manik Sarkar: “The reasons for the emergence and continuance of insurgency in the northeast are complex, but one of the main reasons has been the neglect of the region by successive governments at the Centre.

Seeking a third term as the Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar is on the threshold of making history as the longest serving Chief Minister of the northeastern State — a post he has held since 1998. The soft spoken die-hard Marxist is a different kind of politician, who does not own a house or land or a vehicle. And his bank balance is just Rs.13,290. In an interview conducted at the Dasarath Deb Bhavan, the State CPI(M) headquarters in Agartala, Mr. Sarkar says a third front that unites all secular and democratic forces is indeed a possibility, and that the Left parties shall have to play a vital role. Excerpts:

The economic policies, the handling of foreign affairs and the ambivalent attitude towards communal and secessionist forces of the present government are detrimental to the interests of the masses and the country as a whole. Therefore, the people who were disillusioned with the then NDA government are also quite fed up with the present UPA government, and the country’s populace by and large wants change at the Centre with a government having alternative policies which will take care of the problems of food, shelter, medicare, jobs, communal harmony, and, of course, prosperity in real terms.

They are sincerely desirous of a third front, which is possible [by] uniting all secular and democratic forces. The Left parties shall have to play a vital role following the impressive victory of the Left Front government in Tripura.

Restoration of peace, significant improvement in agriculture and allied sectors, education, healthcare, creation of infrastructure, improvement of quality of life — these are some of the areas in which the Left Front in Tripura has made major achievements in the last 15 years.

The per capita income in Tripura was Rs.11,012 in 1998. [The figure] went up to Rs.20,357 in 2004 and it is now slightly less than the national average. The average internal annual production of the State has gone up from Rs.3,814 crore in 1991 to Rs.7,165 crore in 2004. The average growth rate of the State which was 6.27 per cent in 1998 rose to 7.75 per cent in 2004. We had inherited a financial system in 1993 which was in a total mess, but through financial discipline and prudence we have been able to ensure that funds, especially for developmental works, are utilised in a timely manner and for the purposes for which they are meant.

We have also been able to ensure that the financial condition of the State is very sound and stable. We have taken neither any overdraft nor any ways and means advance in the last six to seven years. These achievements are there for the people to see and assess for themselves the effectiveness and stability of the government.

For a projected population of over 36 lakh by 2009-10, foodgrain production of 8.22 lakh tonnes is required. The State has total cultivable land of about 2.63 lakh hectares. Since this is a finite resource, in agriculture our emphasis has been on areas such as expansion and extension of irrigation facilities, increasing self sufficiency in the usage of improved quality seeds, enhanced utilisation of fertilizer, improved method of jhum [shifting] cultivation, credit support to farmers on easy terms, proper storage facilities for agricultural produce, development of markets and extension of research work. With these measures we are targeting to reach the level of production of 8.22 lakh tonnes of foodgrains by 2010, which will mean self sufficiency in foodgrain production. A mid-term appraisal of the Perspective Plan some months ago indicates that we are more or less on course to meet this target.

The Congress-INPT alliance is an opportunistic alliance and it is sending a wrong signal to the struggle against secessionism and for the further strengthening of the unity and integrity of the country.

No, not at all.

We have taken a holistic approach for the development of the tribal people and the tribal areas of the State. Special emphasis is being laid on the development of the tribal areas — for the extension of facilities of education, setting up of all types of infrastructure for development, providing economic self-reliance, extension of employment generating opportunities, etc.

The reasons for the emergence and continuance of the insurgency situation in the northeast are complex, but one of the main reasons has been the neglect of the region by successive governments at the Centre. Now a holistic approach is required to tackle the problem. Both developmental initiatives as well as an ideological and political campaign are necessary.

It may appear to be a disadvantage, but it will be converted into an advantageous factor in the future.

These have been mentioned and elaborated in the Left Front manifesto. The main tasks would be the removal of poverty and improvement in the standards of the common people.

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A record of success and stability in Tripura

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