AGARTALA, April 5 -- The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) on Sunday unveiled its manifesto for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council ( TTAADC) polls scheduled for April 12. The manifesto promises formal recognition of Kokborok and other indigenous languages, and proposes renaming the TTAADC as Tripura Autonomous Territorial Council. Kokborok is the lingua franca of a majority of Tripura's indigenous population.

The "Sankalp Patra" manifesto pledges to establish democratically elected village committees and introduce initiatives to preserve indigenous traditions and customary laws.

It also vows to open handloom and handicraft training centres in every zone to empower indigenous women, setting up a girls' hostel in each...