ON 19th January, a team of 5 members of the CPI(ML) Tripura State Committee visited the state terror affected areas of Madhavbari - Dasharambari, Khumlung and areas nearby N.I.T.’s second and third gate. The aim was to find out the truth about the reported incidents of firing on 8th January.
On 8th January, several tribal organisations were on street protesting against Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, supporting the strike called by the NESO. The national highway in the area of Jirania Police station, West Tripura district, was blocked by protestors. Madhavbari is situated in the connecting point of T.T.A.D.C.’s head office on the way to Khumlung and the national highway. Dasharambari is across the bridge. The blockade started around 5 am in the morning. The district administration ordered to block Khumlung highway instead of the national highway, which created severe tension.
It is important to note, that Dasharambari and Khumlung are part of Radhapur P.S., while Madhavbari and N.I.T. come under Jirania P.S. In the Jirania police station area, the BJP hooligans started threatening against the strike call from morning, by forcing people to open their shops. It created further tension. BJP workers also gathered in Madhavbari in more numbers, creating massive chaos. The district administration and police were shamelessly on the sides of the BJP workers. Because of the brazen administrative partiality and communal provocation, the entire situation turned violent. Shops in Khumlung were set on fire. Then, the police started lathicharging the protestors and dispersed them from the national highway. When the protesters were moving towards Dasharambari crossing the bridge by 250-300 meters, the police systematically fired on them severely injuring 6 protestors. It was a planned attack to kill the protestors according to Ratan Devbarma, Nakshu Devbarma, Kishor Devbarma and Sinika Devbarma, the sister of Sumit Devbarma, who is currently undergoing treatment in Kolkata. Sinika strongly demanded justice and vehemently criticised the Government’s apathy towards the treatment for injured protestors. Villagers are collecting money and helping for the treatment of Sumit in Kolkata. The expenses till now are Rs 57000. The Government has only provided the plane fare.
Sinika further said that, the eye-witnesses and the video recording clearly prove that the state machinery has fired on the protestors. Not only that, police and BJP lumpen brigade vandalised several houses in Dasharambari village. The vandalism went on from the bridge to Dasharambari market. They even entered a house to disrupt a funeral where they injured five people. Shachindra Devbarma, a driver by profession, fainted after the attack. He got four stitches in his legs. Eight shops were vandalised in Dasharambari market area. They fired on the statue of Maharaja Veervikram Bahadur and tried to demolish it. Before our team went there, the Dasharambari market was closed with black flags everywhere. The local people informed us that they have raised black flags, covered the statue with black polythene and closed the market as a protest against the Chief Minister of the state.
Then the team went to the hospital of Khumlung Kheremba and to the house of Nitai Devbarma, shot and injured in Taglabari. We spoke with his father Biram Devbarma, and Rana Devbarma, Bishurai Devbarma and Sunil Devbarma. Then we went to the house of Sukant Devbarma. Sukant was beaten up by the police at Dasharambari while he was taking two injured protestors in an ambulance to Agartala. Sukant is not able to walk properly. The two injured protestors were also beaten up again.
Even ten days after the incident, the third gate of N.I.T. is still closed. The students from Ballavi Sardar Pada, Bishram Pada, Madhya Bishram Pada and Narayan Pada are not managing to come to school. Four students have already taken transfer certificate. This is furthering the polarisation and distrust among people. The CPI(ML) has demanded to open the third gate immediately to restore normalcy. Conversation among democratically minded people and all party initiatives are absolutely necessary. The formation of a judicial enquiry committee to disclose the real truth has also been demanded by the CPI(ML). This incident must be investigated by a sitting judge under the supervision of the High court for exemplary punishment of the hooligans. The Government must ensure all medical expenses of the injured, ten lakh compensation to each of them and adequate compensation to the shopkeepers and all other affected. From the CPI(ML) State Committee, Manik Pal, Swapan Banik, Gopal Roy, Mrinal Bhowmick and the State Secretary Partha Karmakar were in the fact finding team.
