Agartala: The Tripura Tribal Customary Law Co-ordination Committee has announced a three-hour sit-in in Agartala on Dec 7 to demand the speedy codification of 14 pending customary law bills.The committee held a meeting of community leaders, traditional chiefs and representatives of tribal groups on Sunday and warned of a statewide bandh if the authorities failed to take concrete action.The committee’s joint convener, Birendra Tripura, said the protest would begin at noon near the Mahatma Gandhi statue, adjacent to Circuit House. He expressed concern over delays in completing the codification process for 14 customary law bills unanimously passed by the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) on Dec 28, 2022.The proposed laws govern marriage, inheritance, adoption and other personal and social matters among the state’s indigenous communities. Tripura said nearly four years had passed since the council approved the bills, but the codification process remained incomplete.“Of the 14 bills, the state govt returned 10 to ADC administration with observations and recommendations for modifications and corrections. Those bills remain pending with the autonomous council, while the other four are still under consideration by the state govt,” Birendra said.Tripura said the organisation had submitted several representations to state govt and the TTAADC administration seeking formal recognition of customary laws. Despite repeated appeals, he alleged, there had been no substantial progress.He recalled that committee delegations had separately met ADC Chief Executive Member and chief minister Dr Manik Saha. Both had assured the representatives that their concerns would be addressed soon, he said. The committee, however, maintained that these assurances had not led to tangible progress.The Dec 7 demonstration aims to draw renewed attention to the pending bills and press for an early resolution. Birendra Tripura said the organisation could intensify its agitation, including calling a Tripura bandh, if its demands remained unaddressed.Highlighting the importance of customary laws in preserving indigenous identity and traditional institutions, he said Tripura is home to 19 tribal communities, each with distinct customs governing personal and social matters.He added that, apart from Jamatia Hoda, no other customary law had been codified so far, despite sustained efforts by community elders and leaders. It maintained that codification would help preserve indigenous traditions and give legal recognition to established community practices.
