Stray incidents of violence in bandh by tribal bodies

Agartala: Stray incidents of violence was reported during the 12-hour bandh today called by All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bandh in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomus District Council area, which constitute two-thirds of the state territory, partially hit life. Police said some people were injured in a clash between the ruling CPI-M cadres and protesters at Gandacherra sub-divisional town in Dhalai district during the bandh.

"At least three persons were injured during clash between the protesters and CPI-M activists at Sonaichhari in Sabroom Sub-division of South Tripura district," SP Bhanupada Chakraborty said. "At the TTAADC headquarters in Khumlung, bandh supporters stopped employees from entering their offices," he said adding a vehicle carrying bandh supporters was attacked by locals at Manu Bazar area. A shop was also vandalised at Machhli.

The officer said over 500 picketers were arrested. Northeast Frontier Railways suspended movement of trains keeping in view the bandh as the the train passes through the TTAADC area. The ATIRPF comprises three non-Left tribal political parties - Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and National Council of Tripura (NCT). The Bill seeks to allow illegal migrants from certain minorities communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan elligible for Indian citizenship.

Ruling CPI(M) is opposing the bandh saying such a move was "divisive and aimed at destabilising the peace and harmony of the state." "We are also against the Bill, introduced by the NDA government and want a strict adherence to the Indira–Mujib pact. There is no necessity of bandh. It is divisive and aimed at destabilising the peace and harmony between tribals and non tribals in the state," CPI-M state party secretary, Bija Dhar said.