THALCHERRA, (NORTH TRIPURA): The discernible policies of backing two militant groups, one by the ruling coalition and the other by the opposition parties, has left the tribal in remote villages of Tripura apologized.

They are now fighting among themselves and fleeing their hamlets apprehending attacks by armed militants or raids by the BSF looking for the insurgents’ according to an Indian correspondent.

‘The correspondent visited some of the tribal villages in Chhamanu block of north Tripura, now gripped by worst food crisis following damage to hum crops. ‘The opposition CPM is allegedly supporting the All Tripura Tribal Force (ATTF) to maintain its control over the tribal base while the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity, 8 coalition partner of the ruling Congress, has floated another armed group, the Tripura Rajya Rakshi Force (TRRF), to resist the ATTF activities.

 SLEEPY HAMLET: In a recent incident, six tribal youths were reportedly killed during BSF operations at Thalcherra a sleepy hamlet bordering the Chittagong hill tract of Bangladesh.

‘A sense of mistrust seems to have surfaced among the villagers who are tightlipped about the December 22 incident.

One Baksathi Tripura, a 25yrold woman, recalled the “traumatic experience” after much persuasion.

I heard the sound of fire and looking out from a hole of my house. I found Bilajoy lying on the ground. The uniformed personnel dragged his body up to a stream and forcibly took some other youths to the camp”, she alleged.

Another villager said he did not have much faith in the BSF personnel as they could “kill once again”.

BSF CAMP:A BSF camp had been set up near the Thalcherra market the camp in charge, CB Sahi however have a different version, He told a team of visiting correspondents that the tribal people are “very cunning”, they do not cooperate with the BSF by informing them about the activities of the insurgents and their hideous.

Narrating the details of the incident, the camp in charge said the BSF had intensified their patrol on receiving a off that the camp could be attacked and the nearby market looted by insurgents. On the same night at 8:30 a group of miscreants fired at the patrol party near the camp. “The jawans retaliated, killing six persons on the spot. They recovered country made guns and three ‘country made pistols.

An FIR was also lodged in this ‘connection.

TNV RETURNEE: The officer in charge of Chhamanu police station told the correspondents that ‘one Rabindra Reang, a TNV return who surrendered in February 1988 and after got a job as a teacher under the government rehabilitation program, is the ‘general secretary of the ATTF and controls the entire area.

‘The group at present has twelve 308 rifles, 36 hand grenades and ‘an unspecified number of country made firearms.

The officer in charge also said the BSF patrol pany had nabbed ‘8.armed youths with 60 weapons, which included 55 guns and for revolvers on October 22.

 Which was handed over to the Chhamanu police station. The youths reportedly belong to the Tripura Rajya Rakshi Force” allegedly formed by the ruling coalition to resist the ATTF activities,

‘The miseries of the villagers of the entire block area have been compounded by a famine like situation prevailing in the state.

At least 200 people have died of starvation and gastro enteritis in the past two months, according to a finding of a team of legislators headed by the opposition chief whip, Samar Choudhury (CPM), which visited the area recently.

‘The Thalcherra market where villagers from Garjar, Pasha, Japan kumar para, Gobindabari, Hariamaniroajapara, Manicmani, Whowdhuripara, Wadcckcherra, Malidhar come for selling and buying crops remains closed since the killing.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 17, 1992