Troubletorn Gandacherra is hosting 24 ‘Durga Pujas’ this time amidst ethnic tension and instigation

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 28, 2025

Amidst ethnic tension and continuous provocation the troubletorn Gandacherra subdivision this time is hosting altogether 24 community ‘Durga Pujas’ with participation of all the communities. There is a visible enthusiasm among organizers and members of only 137 Bengali families unlike last year when there was only one token ‘Durga Puja’. Initially the Bengali section of people had hardly evinced any interest in organizing ‘Durga Puja’ because of an underlying tension spawned by the provocative activities and utterances of ‘Tipra Motha’ supporters but finally this feeling was overcome and the organizers came forward to make arrangement for the greatest annual religious festival of the Bengali Hindus.

Sources from Gandacherra had always been a peaceful subdivision and no organised attack on the small Bengali population had occurred even during the height of TNV and NLFT insurgencies between 1982 and 2007. There were remote areas like Pancharatan, Raisyabari and the outskirts of the subdivision where there was a sizable Bengali population, almost all of which had been residents of these areas since pre-independence times and all of them had been oustees of Dumbur Hydro-electrical project built in the seventies. There was peace and amity as the Bengali population had adopted the language and culture of their tribal brethren and would interact with them in ‘Kokorok’ language. But the accidental death of a tribal youth in Gandacherra town on June 12 last year destroyed everything as there was organsied attack and arsoning on all 137 Bengali households by tribals, specially by the miscreants among the Reang resettlers from far-flung areas who had prepared for this in advance. But the situation had worsened before that because of the politics of malice, hatred and ethnic polarization practiced by ‘Tipra Motha’ and its leader Pradyot Kishore. The entire Bengali population had to spend months in helpless condition in make-shift camps ,schools and even in open spaces and there was no interest in ‘Durga Puja’ last year. It was only administrative intervention and promises of help that led to one community ‘Puja’ being held in the town.

The mood has slightly changed this year as the helpless Bengali families tried to come to terms with the reality of the situation and initiatives for the ‘Puja’ were taken in different parts of the subdivision including the bordering and remote Raisyabari market. Sources said that the entire subdivision is mired in acute shortage of work and earning this has affected the spirit of the people, specially the tribals in remote areas like Bhagirath, Dalapati, Ratan Nagar, Dhalajhari that are inhabited by ‘Jhumia’ (shifting cultivator) families. To worsen matters , there is a severe power crisis affecting the daily lives of people. Subal Saha, a businessman of the Gandacherra Market Association (GMA), the organizer of the biggest community ‘Durga Puja’, said that poverty and lack of earning among people and frequent power outages daily may spoil the festive spirit of the ‘Puja’. He however conceded that this year the situation is better but still there is a looming uncertainty over security despite assurances given by the administration.

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