People's Democracy

ON August 31 morning, NLFT extremists gunned down three more tribal leaders and activists of the CPI(M) at Kashidaspara under Jirania police station in Sadar subdivision, West Tripura. This was in continuation of the assassination drive carried out over the last one and a half months by the NLFT hit-squads, the underground wing of parties like the IPFT and TUJS.

At about 5 on August 31 morning, a group of 30 to 35 NLFT gunmen raided the house of Comrade Suku Debbarma (50), a CPI(M) local committee member, after warning the villagers not to come out of their houses. At gunpoint, the extremists made his family members cook food for all of them. After finishing a hearty meal at about 8.30 a m, the extremists took him and his two cousins --- Comrades Sonai Debbarma (45) and Biswarai Debbarma (32), both of whom were CPI(M) activists --- to an adjoining village half a kilometer away and shot at them. Comrades Suku and Sonai died on the spot while Comrade Biswarai succumbed to his injury on way to Jirania hospital.

Comrade Suku Debbarma played a vital role in defending ethnic peace and amity during the TNV-triggered riot of 1980 designed to dislodge the first Left Front government of Tripura. Since then he had become a popular organiser of the CPI(M) and Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (GMP) in the area. NLFT extremists has picked him up from home just two weeks ago but had to release him under due to the stiff resistance put up by hundreds of tribal women. A 12 hour bandh was observed in Champaknagar area of Jirania on September 1, at the call of the CPI(M).

The CPI(M) state secretariat, GMP central committee and chief minister Manik Sarkar vehemently condemned the killing of three partymen as part of a planned demoralisation drive ahead of the next assembly elections in Tripura. (INN)