Agartala: Tension engulfed Brahmacherra area, a village in Krishnapura of Tripura’s Khowai district, after unidentified miscreants vandalised as many as 14 under-construction dwellings sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana late on Friday night.
The beneficiaries who had been at the receiving end of the attacks belongs to the non-tribal Bengali community.
The incident promted the locals to stage a road blockade on Saturday morning to voice their concerns over the prevailing situation.
The villagers were also surprised to find threat messages against the non-tribal locals, scribbled on the road.
“WANSEA (Bengalis in Kokborok language) GET OUT” and “RED ZONE” were two particular messages written on the road. Soon after that the villagers gathered at the main road that leads to the village and staged a road blockade.
The locals said that ever since Tripura State Rifle Troopers posted there were withdrawn, the law and order situation of the area deteriorated drastically.
“We woke up in the morning to see that the pillars installed for construction of the 14 PMAY houses in the area were vandalised. Earlier, our crop lands were destroyed by unidentified miscreants. All these destructive activities occurred in the dark of night and no one knows who is actually responsible for all this,” said one of the protestors.
The locals demanded a security camp in the vicinity of the settlement to keep such attempts of inciting communal tension at bay.
Some of the protestors linked the incident as a fallout of TIPRA
Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman’s social media post related to providing settlement to the non-tribals within the jurisdiction of TTAADC areas.
EastMojo contacted some of the top officials of the revenue department and District Magistrate West Tripura to ascertain whether the state government was really planning resettlement of non-tribals in ADC. All the officials have said that the state government does not have any such plans right now.
Debbarman’s post came in response to a letter written to the District Magistrate West Tripura with a prayer for resettlement of the landless Bengalis in those areas of TTAADC where there is no existent inhabitation.
“Not one inch of land will be given in the 6th schedule areas . If you want to settle people then do so elsewhere in India , Tiprasa people have given enough sacrifice,” Debbarman wrote in his post that contained a photograph of the letter as well.
The content of the letter, undersigned by one Nirmal Acharjee, read: “With due respect, I would like to draw your kind attention that many Non-Tribal’s in Tripura were landless. I would like to request to give a settlement to Non-Tribal at TTAADC area particularly at Kanchanpur, Ananda Nagar, Masmara, Dasda kanchanpur and khedacharra North Tripura District. Sailengta, Samonu, Gandhacharra, Lalcharra, Ganganagar, Kalajari and Raimavally in Dhalai District. Gomati District and south Tripura Bandharghat, Ampi, Aatharabulab, Killa, Jatanbari, Paharpur, Chelaghangmukh, Santibazar, Sabrom, Sunamura, Garji, Khupilung etc. where Tribal people had been not occupied at ADC area. I therefore, hope and pray that you would be very happy and glad to take immediate steps”.
The letter was addressed to the District Magistrate of West Tripura.
On knowing about the road blockade, BDO Teliamura rural development block Debapriya Das rushed to the spot and interacted with the protestors. After her verbal assurance of setting up a permanent security camp here, the blockade was withdrawn.
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“A total of 14 under construction PMAY houses were vandalised by the miscreants. The locals have demanded that a permanent security posts should be set up here. We shall take up the issue with the District Administration as soon as possible. Since the locals have been demanding it for long we think it should be there for safety and security purposes,” the officer said. She also convinced the villagers that police would initiate stringent punitive measures against the culprits.
When asked about the anti-Bengali messages written on the roads, she said, “I don’t want to make any comments on that. The police is here to investigate the whole matter”.
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