Tripura’s Pradyot Manikya suggests NE Indians visit Cox’s Bazar, fueling Greater Tipraland talk.
Pradyot Manikya Suggests Cox’s Bazar Over Goa, Rekindles Greater Tipraland Debate
Tripura royal leader and political figure Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma has sparked renewed conversation on Greater Tipraland by suggesting that Northeast Indians visit Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong for beach vacations instead of distant Indian coastal states like Goa.
In a cryptic yet provocative Facebook post, Pradyot questioned the need for long-distance travel when scenic seaside destinations exist just across the border.
“Why should the people of the Northeast travel all the way to Goa or elsewhere for a beach vacation when we have options like Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar just across the border in Bangladesh?” he wrote.
Why Cox’s Bazar?
Located within a few hundred kilometers from several Northeastern states, Cox’s Bazar is home to the world’s longest natural sea beach. Similarly, Chittagong serves as a major port and cultural hub of Southeast Bangladesh. Both destinations are significantly closer to Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam than Goa or Kerala.
This statement, however, wasn’t just about travel.
The Greater Tipraland Context
Pradyot, the scion of Tripura’s royal family, has long advocated for the rights of indigenous Tiprasa people through the demand for Greater Tipraland — a proposed autonomous region or homeland that spans both Indian and Bangladeshi territories.
He previously stated that:
“Greater Tipraland is possible in Bangladesh, given the large number of indigenous people living there.”
While this suggestion has raised diplomatic eyebrows, Pradyot insists his intention is cultural unification and empowerment, not secession. He has repeatedly called on the Government of India to protect and empower indigenous communities living on both sides of the border
