People's Democracy

TRIPURA

Five CPI(M) Activists Shot To Death

ON July 14 morning, NLFT extremists gunned down Milajoy Tripura, a CPI(M) worker, when he was proceeding towards the site at the Chawmanu-Gobindabari road, where jungle clearing work has been going on as part of  the Left Front government’s decision to construct a cluster village by the roadside. The work is part of the state government’s drive for securing the rehabilitation and livelihood of the people of remote and backward areas who have been currently sheltered at Chawmanu. These are the people who were dislodged from their hearth and home because of extremist atrocities.

Milajoy Tripura was one of about 150 people engaged in the jungle clearing work in the area. As soon as he got down from a vehicle on reaching the site, NLFT extremists shot him to death, leaving on the spot a hand-written note threatening to blow up any security camp that might be set up there to facilitate the construction of a cluster village for the displaced people. Furthermore, no one would be allowed to live in any such cluster village, the note warned.

In a statement, the CPI(M) state secretariat vehemently condemned this dastardly extremist killing and expressed deep sympathy with the kith and kin of the comrade killed. The party viewed the killing as an evidence of the desperation that has gripped the extremists and their patrons following the implementation of the Left Front government’s plan for all round, secured rehabilitation of tribal families from remote areas. Also, in this connection, the party vehemently protested against the recent withdrawal of a portion of central security forces from the state and demanded their immediate return.

Significantly, the local unofficial organ of the Congress party, the daily Syandan Patrika recently featured a news story condemning the state government’s initiative to construct cluster villages by the highways in the state.

Later, on July 16 night, in a spree of violence, NLFT extremists brutally killed four CPI(M) supporters and injured an infant after they raided in quick succession two tribal villages under Kachuchhara police station in Dhalai district.

At about 8 p m on the day, a group of 7 to 8 armed NLFT extremists raided two houses of Rathinjoy Halampara beside each other and shot dead CPI(M) supporters Lalningsong Halam (25) and Keshlal Halam (27). The latter’s 5 years old nephew was bullet-struck in the right arm during the extremist firing.

Between 30 to 45 minutes after this incident, the same extremist gang raided the neighbouring village Thanabul Halampara, about 3 kilometres away, killing in the same brutal style Naithengbul Halam (50) and his son Rambing Halam (20). The extremists had first enquired about Roithoimul Halam, a CPI(M) member of the local village panchayat. It is presumed that they killed his father and younger brother when they failed to find Roithoimul Halam in the house.

On getting information, the police rushed to both the spots and the injured child was hospitalised. The barbaric and dastardly carnage is supposed to be the sequel to the massive defection from the INPT in the area to join the leftist camp at the instance of especially Keshlal Halam who, along with the other three persons killed by the extremists on July 16 night, had started working for the CPI(M) after the assembly polls in February this year.

A 12-hour Kachuchhara bandh was observed on July 17 at the call of the CPI(M)’s Salema local committee to protest the killing of party supporters. (INN)