Tribal body on indefinite strike

The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad has begun an indefinite strike in the Dooars protesting against the police atrocities.

The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) has begun an indefinite strike in the Dooars protesting against the police atrocities.

Our strike will go on until two of our members are released,who were arrested a couple of days ago on fake charges. Police arrested five members and released three. They are yet to make any arrest after two of our supporters were lynched by miscreants in Malbazzar on April 30, said Birsha Tirki,state president ABAVP.

We have called the strike as we believe this is the only option left to protest against the injustice of the administration against the tribals. We have received a great response from the people and our strike remained peaceful today, said Tirki.

If our demand to release our supporters is not accepted,the strike will continue and we will spread it to the Terai by tomorrow, added Tirki.

The state administration has decided not to release the arrested persons. ABAVP has asked us to release the arrested persons. They were arrested on legal grounds and cannot be released, said Raj Kanojia,IG (Law & Order).

Earlier,the ABAVP carried out a campaign asking the tribal community to boycott the polls since the state government had not fulfilled its demands including the opening of the closed tea gardens in the Dooars and the construction of the East-West corridor via Malbazar and Banarhat instead of the Dhupguri-Falakata route.The Parishad had also wanted district status for Alipurduar.

According to the official records,90 per cent of the tribal population in the Dooars areas did not caste their votes and the vote-boycott call of the ABAVP became successful. The tribals did not vote in 17 booths in Alipurduar constituency.

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