Tripura CM accuses BJP of mobilising IPFT to create unrest

Agartala, Oct 11: Inaugurating a Martyrs Memorial Park at Golaghati under Sepahijala district in West Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar yesterday accused BJP of mobilising tribal based Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) supporters to create unrest in the state to fragment the communal harmony between tribal and non-tribal ahead of election. Sarkar alleged that IPFT has been getting full support from BJP as well as from the Centre. He said in previous occasions Tripura had experienced communal violence and armed insurgency to dislodge left front government in the state. Because the opposition parties are well-convinced that peace, tranquillity, communal harmony and development are the priorities of the left front government, which has been in power for the past 25 years. “The party which is ruling the country has target to make India a Hindu nation violating the secular spirit of our constitution. There is continuous violence on dalits, religious minorities and secular political forces across the country by RSS and BJP. In Tripura they have been using IPFT to perpetuate violence and create unrest to pave the way for BJP to come to power through back door,” Sarkar stated. He asserted that the people of Tripura would not allow the communal and violent force to come in power. Sarkar said since the assumption of the first Left Front government in Tripura in 1978, the development of all sections of people and both plains and hills, specially the tribals and hilly areas, are unparallel in the country. The decades-old terrorism was the biggest obstacle for the all round development of the state and its people, said Sarkar adding after decades of struggle Tripura achieved peace, but now a section of people along with some political parties were trying to destabilize the peace and mutual brotherhood relationship of tribal and non-tribal by spreading communal hatred. He added that the peace loving people of the state along with the state government were working round the clock to maintain peace and stability of the state. He hoped that the people will foil all attempts of divisive forces in coming days and help maintain peace for development and socio-economic growth of the state’s people. The ‘Golaghati Martyrs memorial Park’ was constructed in memory of 12 farmers massacred by police in a farmer’s agitation in 1948. The state government has also constructed a tribal cultural centre at an area of around 26 acres at Golaghati. During a famine and a farmers' movement, police of the then princely rulers fired on the starving tribal farmers killing seven on the spot and injuring 15 on October 9, 1948 at Golaghati. Subsequently, five tribals succumbed, said veteran tribal Communist leader Niranjan Debbarma. After the Golaghati massacre, the military shot dead three struggling young women at western Tripura's Khowai. These young women were fighting against the kings' "Titun Pratha" (slavery or free labouring), he said adding that the news of these killings spread across the mountainous state like wildfire and created huge agony among all section of people, especially among the tribals. UNI