TRIPURA NEWSLETTER

Sixteen Growth Centres Launched

Haripada Das

WITH a view to ensuring socio-economic upliftment of the people and to extend amenities that are availed by the urban people to people at large, the Left Front government of Tripura has decided to launch 16 growth centres across the state. Foundation stones were laid simultaneously for all the growth centres in simple ceremonies on August 14, 2005 in the presence of thousands of jubilant people who expressed their resolve to extend all out cooperation to the government in building these growth centres. A total of Rs 25 crore has been sanctioned by the government as first installment for implementation of these centres.

Among the places where these growth centres are coming up include Ampura, Mungiakami, Hezamara, Taibandal, Kathalia, Bishramganj of West Tripura district, Karbook, Killa, Atharobhola, Kuwaifung of South Tripura district, Damchhara, Kadamtala, Kanchanbari, Dasda of North Tripura district and Ganganagar, Raishyabari of Dhalai district.

These growth centres would result in planned markets, motor stands, vocational training centres, community halls, libraries, sport grounds, availability of safe drinking water, electricity, schools, better roads, telecommunication and health services etc. Among those present at the foundation-laying ceremonies were state ministers, ADC executive members, MLAs, ADCMs and other members of the elected bodies.

26th Anniversary of Daily Desher Katha Observed

Daily Desher Katha completed 26 years of its publication on August 15, 2005 and to mark this occasion, hall meetings and seminars were held in many places of the state. The daily which began publishing on August 15, 1979 has come a long way to reach the present status. Participating in these meetings, Party leaders narrated the bold and very important role played by the paper in the face of anti-Left tirade from various quarters, including from the bourgeoisie press. The Party has chalked up a plan to reach the paper to wider sections of people.

In Agartala, a hall meeting was held at Sadar divisional committee office in the afternoon of August 15. The meeting was presided over by the Party central committee member Bijan Dhar. Addressing the meeting, Party state secretary Baidyanath Majumder mentioned in brief the history of various papers brought out by the Party since 1920. He highlighted how Daily Desher Katha overcame the severe attack launched on it the during the semi-fascist Congress-TUJS coalition regime. Being a Party organ, it is quite different from the so-called ‘impartial’ dailies published in the state, which, he said, represent the reactionary sections of the society. Majumder asserted that Daily Desher Katha is certainly an instrument of propaganda and simultaneously an organiser also. He said though the daily has made a major upgradation with a new building of its own and adoption of modern technology with a colour web off-set machine, there is an urgent need to overcome the drawbacks still existing. 

The editor of Daily Desher Katha, Gautam Das in his speech said that a Party organ cannot be separated from the day to day movements and knowing fully well the opposition targetted it during the coalition regime. However it was the democratic-minded people of the state who protected the paper from the onslaughts of the ruling clique and they deserve full credit for this, he said.

Another speaker Bijan Dhar urged that Daily Desher Katha must strongly stand in defence of national integrity, communal harmony, amity between tribals and nontribals. It must ideologically fight against the secessionist extremists, raise its voice against exploitation and expose and refute all kinds of slanders and misinformation being dished out by the reactionary papers against the Party.

Surrender of 17 NLFT extremists

As an instant response to the chief minister’s Independence Day call to the misguided extremists to come to the mainstream, 17 NLFT extremists including five collaborators, surrendered to the police on August 18. They laid down quite a number of heavy weapons at Kukichhara of Nepal Tilla PS, Longthorai valley, Dhalai district, among which included one light machine gun (LMG),  four AK series rifles, five self loading rifles (SLR), one Chinese rifle, five grenades, 26 bayonets, 732 rounds and a magazine cover. 

According to the surrendered extremists, there was a bloody gun battle between two groups of extremists – one intending to leave the jungle life and surrender to the police and the other opposing the surrender. The sources said that there was a heavy encounter with the BDR of Bangladesh at Mandir Tilla of Kamalganj on May 27 in which six of their front-ranking leaders were killed. After that flush out from Bangladesh, a strong group of theirs escaped and took shelter at Longthorai hills of Dhalai district. Here also they were on their heels because of the combing operation of the security forces. During this period, they had encountered the security men thrice. Majority of the group of militants expressed their frustration and intended to surrender to the police. Being informed of the fact, the leader of the group, the self-styled commander Kamal Debbarma  called the extremists to a meeting at a place in Longthorai Hills to decide on the issue in the morning of August 15. There, Kamala Debbarma  vehemently opposed the surrender proposal and ordered his followers to shoot down the movers of the surrender proposal. Those intending to surrender were very much prepared for the situation as it was quite expected. At dawn on the Independence Day, the deep jungle of Longthorai hills broke its silence with roaring of guns from both sides. In the ensuing gun battle, the so-called commander of the ‘no-surrender’ group, Kamala Debbarma, his deputy, Dhananjoy Reang, and Bishu Debbarma of ‘pro-surrender’ group were killed on the spot and Rabindra Debbarma of the latter group was injured. Ultimately, the pro-surrender group won the battle and captured the arms of the fallen extremists. On August 18, they contacted the Nepal Tilla PS authority expressing their intention to surrender. They also informed the police that one Bimal Reang intending to surrender could not move because he received severe injury in the gunfight. At present, all the surrendered extremists, except the one who is undergoing treatment for injuries in G B Hospital, Agartala, are under the custody of Dhalai district police.

Independence Day observed peacefully

Unlike previous years when the Independence Day was preceded by shocking incidents of barbarous attacks of the banned extremist outfits in the state, this year it passed off peacefully without any untoward incident. Not that they did not make any attempt for violence. They had called for observing the day as ‘Kala Divas’ (black day) and instructed the people in the interior areas to boycott the Independence Day functions and not to hoist national flag anywhere. Both the NLFT and ATTF (tiger) outfits threatened the people in some places of dire consequences if their dictates are not carried out. But the peace-loving and patriotic people of the state, both tribals and non-tribals not only defied the extremists, they challenged the anti-nationals by flying high the national flags in every place of the state. Ultimately, the security forces with the cooperation of people thwarted the extremists.

The main Independence Day function was held at Assam Rifles ground where the chief minister Manik Sarkar received the salute and witnessed the march-past of the jawans of various forces, including the state police, NCC, Scouts and NSS jawans.  In his address the CM paid homage to the martyrs who courted supreme sacrifice for the sake of country’s freedom and subsequently for protecting this hard-won freedom. He reiterated his call to the misguided extremists to abjure violence and come into the mainstream. At the same time, he warned the extremists not to take this call as a sign of weakness. “In no circumstances shall we compromise with our liberty and sovereignty. We shall protect it with our last drop of blood”, he affirmed. 

While narrating the achievements and future targets of the Left Front government, amidst high applause of the audience, he declared that two more sub-divisions with Teliamura and Santirbazar will be created dividing Khowai and Belonia respectively.

(August 20, 2005)