AGARTALA:
The Tripura United Indigenous Peoples’ Council (TUIPC), a joint body of 48 returnee insurgents’ organisation, on February 18, called for a state-wide 24-hour bandh on February 25.
It is in response to the government’s apathy towards the promises made during the 1993 tripartite agreement or ATTF Accord between Tripura, Centre and the now-defunct extremist group, All Tripura Tribal Force (ATTF) that allowed the ATTF to surrender and enter mainstream politics.
“We are protesting the failure of the state government to fulfil the promises made during the signing of the tripartite agreement. It’s been over 26 years since the Accord. We have, therefore, called a 24-hour bandh across the state on February 25,” Daniel Debbarma, general-secretary of TUIPC said.
“They (the state government) assured us they would help us with employment, financial support and education for our children. None of those promises were fulfilled till date,” he added, adding that “people not getting water and food in the tribal areas”.
Alleging they face harassment from the police, including Special Branch and other security agencies, Debbarma maintained that the state government had promised the withdrawal of all the murder cases registered against them as per the Peace Accord, but nothing has been done so far in this regard.
He further said that the government has also turned a blind eye towards issues such as illegal immigration issue and the introduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
Notably, tribal armed insurgency reached its peak between 1980 and late 2000s in Tripura, and was contained during erstwhile Manik Sarkar government rule.