People's Democracy

ON April 12, as part of the latest series of mindless extremist violence in Tripura that started in the wake of the Left Front victory in the February 21 bypoll to Tripura West parliamentary constituency, a group of 8 NLFT extremists raided the house of a staunch CPI(M) supporter at Bahuchandra Para under Jirania police station in West Tripura. Armed with sophisticated firearms, the extremists fired on Bishu Debbarma, a Ganamukti Parishad activist, his wife Mangalaxmi Debbarma and their younger son, a class VIII student Swadesh Debbarma. The mother (42) and the son (16) died in the attack while the father sustained severe bullet injuries and was admitted to G B hospital, Agartala.

Bishu’s elder son Mangal Debbarma lives in the Jirania block headquarters area and has been playing an active role in building resistance against the extremists. His younger son too stayed at Jirania, away from home, to avoid extremist reprisal.

It has been learnt that a few NLFT extremists came to Bishu Debbarma’s house at night two days ago, and assured him that no harm would be done to them if he brings his elder son back to home. Trusting the extremists, Bishu brought his younger son Swadesh back home the previous night. But Swadesh and his mother could not see the following daybreak as they were shot dead by the treacherous extremists in the wee hours.

According to police sources, a tribal has been held for interrogation in this regard.

It is to be noted that quite a number of CPI(M) youth activists have been killed or targeted by extremists since the Left Front victory in the February 21 bypoll. The reason: it is the youth who were in the vanguard to prevent the extremists from hijacking the bypoll and thus defend the people’s democratic rights against the terror campaign being run by extremists and their accomplices. (INN)