BJP Workers Unleash Brutal Attack on the People of Tripura
PRESS RELEASE 6th March 2023
BJP Workers Unleash Brutal Attack on the People of Tripura
Set ablaze houses, cows burnt alive, torched rubber plantations
668 incidents of violence so far, Major attacks on livelihoods
Offices and houses of CITU and AIKS activists targeted
In Tripura, after getting a marginal majority in the assembly election, BJP leadership started unleashing widespread terror and brutal attack on the activists of the opposition parties, particularly in villages. Hundreds of houses were burnt to ashes in rural Tripura. The purpose of these attacks by BJP is destroying the livelihood of political opponents and thus creating an atmosphere of terror. Hence, dairy, poultry and crops including rubber were fully destroyed. The BJP workers did not spare even cows. Cattle were burnt alive along with the sheds. These terror attacks started just after the results were declared. Till 5th February morning, 668 such incidents of violence were reported from Tripura.
BJP is targeting the AIKS and CITU offices and houses of their activists across Tripura. The office of the Tripura Motor Shramik Union, CITU was ransacked and damaged. Key activists of the All-India Kisan Sabha, including the state committee members, have been seriously wounded and admitted in the hospital.
Enormous assets and resources like houses and household furniture, televisions, fridges, vehicles, milking animals and cattle shed, standing crops including rubber trees, fish and poultry were completely destroyed by these goon attacks. Hundreds of political activists belonging to the Left parties left their homes to safe places in order to save their lives. AIKS leaders – Sankar Debnath of Mekhleepara, Kalindra Nath, Ajoy Nath of Khayerpur Constituency, Amar Debnath of Brajapur, Manir Hossain of Madhya Laxmibil, Rafiqul Islam of Ghaniamara, Gopal Debnath, Dulal Debnath and Sukhlal Debnath, of Parimal Chowk Hamoni of Bishalgarh Constituency have suffered violence.
The small Rubber plantation of Sailendra Nath, the newly elected MLA from Jubarajnagar and also state committee member of Tripura Kisan Sabha was severely damaged by the BJP workers. This Rubber plantation was the only source of income for Sailendra Nath. Similarly, the Rubber plantations of Nidhir Laskar and Pradip Das in Boxanagar were also destroyed by the BJP goons. As per the report more than 50 Rubber plantations were already destroyed across the state.
The house of Krishnendu Choudhury, the CPIM Candidate from Chandipur, was also attacked and severely pulled down. Former MLA, a State Committee member of CPIM as well as a major activist of the Tripura Gana Mukthi Parishath was attacked along with his Personal Guard. Now he is admitted in the state referral hospital. The house of Manik Das, a known artist and instrumental music player from Khayerpur was totally destroyed on 4th March.
Series of mindless attacks were organised in Boxanagar Constituency in the leadership of the defeated BJP Candidate Toffajjal Hossain. The houses of AIKS activists Asis Sarkar, Suresh Barman and Ajit Barman were fully destroyed, household materials looted and burnt down. The shops of Alamin, Abu Nabi, and Roushan Ali and a book shop of Prabir Biswas were also looted. The houses of Khurshedur Rahman, Roushan Ali, Haradhan Sarkar and Rantan Das were attacked with bombs and looted. The same criminal gang of BJP workers headed by Toffajjal Hossain vandalised the Rahimpur Market, Manikya Market, Putia Market, Matinagar Market and Boxanagar Market and forcefully closed down the Kamalnagar and Amanda bazaar Market. These vandalisms continued using cars and other vehicles without number plates. These regions were targeted because they are the strongholds of AIKS.
In all these incidents, the Police administration has failed to prevent the goons of BJP. When AIKS activists gathered and started a sit-in Dharna in front of the Police Station, the Police moved and attempted some action. But no culprits were arrested in this inhuman, widespread violence unleashed by the workers of the BJP across the State.
BJP is targeting AIKS and CITU since Tripura Kisan Sabha, Gana Mukthi Parishat and CITU were in the forefront to give confidence to the workers and peasants, to resist the attacks and ensure maximum polling in the assembly election. BJP and allies lost 11% of the vote share compared to the last election and narrowly won the election this time.
Other than Jitendra Choudhury who was the former All India Joint Secretary and present CKC member of AIKS, three state committee members, Shamsul Haq, Islamuddin and Sailendra Nath of Tripura Kisan Sabha are also elected to the new Assembly.
AIKS expresses a deep sense of anger and protests against this barbaric violence unleashed on its activists and members in Tripura. We demand the Election Commission to intervene immediately and ensure peace and cessation of post-poll violence on the people. We demand the Chief Secretary of Tripura and the Police Administration to arrest all the culprits and provide safety and security to the lives and livelihoods of the people. This kind of authoritarian, undemocratic and inhuman behaviour cannot be tolerated. The organised peasant and working-class movement express solidarity with the victims of this brutal violence and appeal the workers and the peasants to come forward and resist such violence and put pressure so that the administration ensures all the perpetrators of widespread crime face strict legal actions.
Issued by
VIJOO KRISHNAN ASHOK DHAWALE
General Secretary President
Select videos of violence:
