It started with thunderous applause and ended with a phone call. A much-hyped “fast-unto-death” in Tripura by TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma was cut short on Wednesday by a phone call that he said invited him to a meeting with the central government over his demands.

 While he rushed to New Delhi after the phone call, Pradyot said he would break his fast only after getting a written assurance from the central government.

 Asked who called him from Delhi, Pradyot said it would not be proper to reveal names on a public stage but added that “officials of the central government” called him.

 Pradyot had announced his fast to press for the party’s demands for Greater Tipraland and direct central funding and greater power for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), among others. It was three days ago that Pradyot returned from New Delhi after an inconclusive meeting with the central government.

 A large stage, resting sheds covered with tarpaulin sheets, makeshift washrooms and galleries were arranged for the fast at Hatai Kotor, the rechristened official name of the Baramura Hills range in West Tripura.

 Amid thundering claps from the nearly 30,000 supporters from different tribal communities who almost jammed National Highway 8, Pradyot Kishore arrived at the protest venue at 11 am. He performed a Kshatriya Puja organised by the Khsatriya Samaj for welfare of his health and the tribal community before joining his party colleagues on stage.

Pradyot was through his speech for only 15 minutes when Motha leader Animesh Debbarma received a call and passed the phone to him.

 A phone call, a few nods, musing to himself after disconnecting the call and then came the big news, “I have to go to Delhi. Got a call”.

Amid conch shells from supporters who took it as a big win for the tribal community, the royal scion-turned-politician asked his supporters to return home but asked party leaders to stay back. He said the hunger strike was suspended but added that he would call it off by breaking the fast in Tripura if a positive written assurance came during his Delhi visit.

  Pradyot urged his supporters to wait for a final word from New Delhi. “Don’t celebrate too fast. Don’t repeat the mistake from the past. Don’t take yourself lightly. Hold on. Delhi has called. I’ll go. I’ll talk. But I will not compromise,” he said, in an oblique reference to a week-long National Highway blockade held at the same place in 2017 by the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura, which is now the BJP’s ruling ally in the state.

 Many IPFT supporters, who had even staged a naked protest at the time, had celebrated saying the separate statehood demand was agreed to after the central government announced a plan to form a high-power modality committee under the home ministry. However, six years later, the Centre and the BJP still have not agreed to the demand.

 While a series of discussions were already held with the central government, Pradyot appeared confident of some positive end to the current agitation. “I’ll go to Delhi on an empty stomach. I’ll not eat anything till we get anything. I need all your blessings. I’ll get a constitutional solution for tribals,” he said.

Pradyot had held a series of talks with AK Mishra, the home ministry’s advisor on Northeast affairs.

 Pradyot said in his speech, “When I was young, my mother used to tell me what our state used to be and what we are now. I felt since childhood that injustice was done with Haa-ni Bwsa (son of the soil).

 He also trained guns at the Congress, Left Front and BJP governments that have ruled the state. “Elections came and every five years and tribals voted in response to big speeches but they got nothing. We should seek an apology from you, the leaders, because you couldn’t give us justice over the past 75 years. Leaders sold out, forgot the community for lal batti, bungalows and some other benefits. I left the Congress and came to the TIPRA Motha. I spent money from my own pocket, fought for you, got abused, insulted but never sold or forsook you,” he said.

 Pradyot said that he felt politics had become cheap and that politicians were closer to contractors than people. “Everyone speaks about thansa (tribal unity). But in reality, thansa isn’t there. If thansa were there, Maharaj wouldn’t need to speak to you on an empty stomach and with teary eyes. We need the thansa of the community, not leaders,” he said.

 Pradyot questioned the state of affairs asking why tribals had to protest for the right to write their own language in a script of their choice or had to walk kilometres for water. He also mentioned the high rate of unemployment, where 27,000 people apply for 100 jobs in the Tripura ADC.

  Pradyot’s fast venue had no party flags, including those of TIPRA Motha’s, as he wanted the protest to be non-partisan.  Motha has grounded its political discourse on ethnic identity and claims that tribals have been historically deprived since the erstwhile princely state joined the Indian Union in 1949. It swept the tribal council polls two months after it was floated in 2021 and has emerged as the principal Opposition party with 13 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.