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Agitated over unfulfilled promises and reeling under crises, a joint body of surrendered militants in Tripura has declared to indefinitely blockade National Highway-8, the state’s sole road connectivity with Assam and the rest of the country via Siliguri chicken neck of West Bengal, from November 5.
The Deprived Returnees Movement Committee (DRMC) is a joint body of surrendered militants in Tripura, including ultras of the banned All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), which no longer exists, and the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), of which a few cadres and leaders are lurking in hideouts across the international border, according to security agencies.
Speaking to reporters at the Agartala Press Club, DRMC general secretary Amrit Reang said they have six main demands, including housing benefits under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), power tillers, piggery and goatery schemes under the Animal Resource Development Department (ARDD), education for children of the returnee families, rubber plantations for rehabilitation and withdrawal of pending cases against the ultras.
“We have been in talks with the government for several rounds over these demands. The tribal welfare minister assured all our demands were accepted and benefits would be provided, that too in two separate meetings. There have been four meetings so far, minutes were drawn up but nothing followed. We are serving the government deadline till October 30 to fulfil their promise or else we shall be forced to blockade the National Highway,” the DRMC leader said.
He said three other returnee insurgent bodies are in talks with DRMC and have offered support to join the agitation if they make no headway with the government before November 5. Reang said the returnee bodies he is in talks with are the Tripura United Indigenous Returnees People’s Council (TUIRPC), which is an umbrella of the 48 different smaller returnee bodies, the Joint Action Committee and Joint action Rehabilitation Committee – both democratic reorganisation bodies of returnee insurgents.
“We shall not go to any more meetings now, even if we are called. If written decisions of a minister are not implemented, how can we trust the government? They say ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ but now it is only vinaash (destruction). His signatures do not have any value to us. We want the government to fulfil these main demands,” Reang said.
Meanwhile, the returnees have started downsizing their core demands as well. Earlier in August this year, DRMC had placed forth nine demands before the state government. While the demands were not met, the surrendered ultras have themselves slashed their demand count and said they want six of their core demands to be fulfilled.
The returnee body had called for an NH blockade in June but the government intervened and started a dialogue. After the meeting did not produce any immediate result, the returnees announced an indefinite NH blockade from June but it was called back after the chief minister assured them of dialogue.
Meanwhile, a separate returnee insurgent group had written letters to the Prime Minister, the President and other central government senior officials seeking a solution over purportedly unfulfilled demands.
Armed insurgency started in Tripura in the 1960s and swelled in the 1980s and 90s. The insurgency was largely brought down during the erstwhile Left Front era and the incumbent BJP-led government through a coordinated effort of counter-insurgency operations and lucrative rehabilitation packages.
