People's Democracy

THE Tripura state committee of the CPI(M) has fervently called upon the people of Tripura to generate a statewide stir alongside their brethren all over the country to dethrone the anti-people and anti-national BJP-led government at the centre and to vehemently expose and oppose the nefarious nexus among the opposition parties in the state to dislodge its pro-people and progressive Left Front government. The call was given in a statement following the August-end session of the CPI(M) state committee.

Expressing grave concern over the adverse impact on the life and livelihood of the people of Tripura due to the devastating anti-people policies of the centre as well as the triggering of tension throughout the north-east by various means, the CPI(M) has decided to organise meetings and rallies statewide from September 8 to 21. The agitation will culminate in a mass sit-in demonstration in front of the central government offices at all the sub-divisional and block headquarters, as part of the countrywide agitation programme at the behest of the CPI(M) Central Committee to force the BJP-led centre to abandon its policies or abdicate power.

The party has also made an in-depth study of the current situation in the state and expressed grave concern over the pre-planned and fascist style assassination of 19 leaders, activists and supporters of the Left and democratic movement in the state. Those who have been killed included a divisional secretariat member and three divisional committee members of the party by the outlawed NLFT extremists during the period since the June 12-13 meeting of the state committee. This is apparently a spurt of vengeful violence, sparked by massive erosion in the extremist ranks because of surrender by extremists or their death/arrest in encounters with security forces. Coupled with it has been the Left parties’ politico-ideological campaign over the last 7 or 8 months, that has yielded rich dividends in fighting the extremists. To the CPI(M), the extremists and their open or covert supporters are doubtlessly implementing a barbaric terrorist blueprint, with an eye on the next assembly elections in the state.

The Pradesh Congress president’s open avowal of willingness to forge an electoral alliance of all opposition parties in the state testifies to this. In the recently concluded bypoll in Machmara constituency of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC), the Left Front (Forward Bloc) candidate was defeated by the common candidate of all opposition parties. Common candidates were also fielded against the Left Front candidates, albeit in vain, in several cooperative bodies elections held recently. The pre-planned assassinations carried out over the past one month by the NLFT extremists have thus a vital link with the recent anti-Left Front activities of the opposition parties, the CPI(M) state committee opined.

The CPI(M) also noted the blatant denial of the centre to dispatch military and paramilitary forces to the state as per the requisition of the Left Front government. Also, a few battalions of the central security forces have been withdrawn from the state, to be deployed along the Assam-Meghalaya border and in Manipur where tension had been triggered by the centre itself. Cashing upon this situation, the extremists have intensified their attacks, and their planned attempts to destabilise the tea gardens in the state through killings and kidnappings. The anti-Left Front forces have also tried to make use of dacoits for terrorist activities, including those carried out by racial miscreants aimed at triggering ethnic conflict at places.

Yet it is heartening to note that, even in the face of such planned violent attacks, a huge section of the tribal people in the state have increasingly carried out an ideological campaign against insurgency. This was witnessed in their massive response to the meetings, rallies, conventions and mass deputations organised by the Upajati Ganamukti Prishad, the DYFI-affiliated Tribal Youth Federation and the SFI-affiliated Tribal Students Union. This is also evident in the mass exodus from the IPFT, the corrupt party that is currently ruling the ADC and is a protégé of the outlawed NLFT. While stressing the need for mounting pressure on the centre for extending the requisite security assistance towards effectively combating cross-border terrorism in Tripura, the CPI(M) has called for an intensified and united campaign to unmask the unholy alliance between the opposition parties and the extremists and to put up mass resistance against insurgency.

The state committee has also decided to start from October next the process of organising party conferences at various levels. (INN)