Gandacherra still gripped by uneasy lull after the looting spree by Bru resettlers, people seething in anger

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 15, 2024

The seething anger of maliciously targeted minority Bengali population in Gandacherra today found expression in the strong protest demonstration of homeless people against a visiting BJP team comprising minister Tinku Roy, MLA Rampada Jamatya, former MP Rebati Tripura and party leader Subal Bhowmik. A similar protest demonstration occurred yesterday in the make-shift camp in Gandacherra HS School and market-shed where local BJP leader Bikash Chakma had gone to meet people and provide puffed and boiled rice as relief. The protesting homeless people forced Bikash Chakma and employees of the administration to leave the spot and demanded normal rice as food. What the people highlighted is that the administration, police and leaders of ruling party played the role of silent spectators when the looters and plunderers from the nearby Bru refugee resettlement camp had rendered them homeless destitutes.

A pathetic and painful but authentic picture came out yesterday when a CPI (M) delegation visited the affected the affected Haripur, Panchcard, Chhoycard and Bishcard villages peopled by 56 families. The hapless Bengali villagers said that the Bru refugees including women from a nearby resettlement camp had stormed the area with the planned and specific purpose of looting their properties and assets. “They looted our cots, alimirah,utensils, fridge, gold, silver, rice, paddy, clothes , prepared food and the women were in charge of loading the looted materials on waiting vehicles even as police personnel stood by silently and took no action to prevent the crimes” said the crying Bengali women to the CPI (M) delegation of subdivisional leaders. The women further said that their houses had been set on fire and 13 cattles had been burnt to death while one was killed by the looters who also took away the pigs and piglets.

The CPI (M) state committee member Lalit Mohan Tripura who headed the party delegation later said that the chain of incidents and destruction on the night of July 12 was pre-planned and part of a conspiracy. “Had the SDPO been present on the spot that night such grisly violence could have been prevented but he was absent and came a day later by which time the incidents had happened; a similar conspiracy had been hatched by the IPFT in the year 2016 but that the left front had intervened strongly from organization and administration and noting could happen” said Lalit Mohan Tripura to media persons. He demanded compensation for the victims and punishment for the guilty, adding that an incompetent administration and negligent police were responsible for what had happened on the night of July 12.