People's Democracy

TRIPURA

Desperate Extremists Take Two Lives

Haripada Das 

ON October 3, in a desperate bid, NLFT extremists ambushed an inter-state passengers bus in Atharamura Hills under Teliamura police station in West Tripura district, killing a schoolmistress on board and grievously injuring three others. 

It will be noted that this hilly section of about 70 km long road from Teliamura in West Tripura to Manu in Dhalai district on the National Highway 44, the life line of the state, is very much prone to extremist attacks. So the passenger buses as well as goods trucks are made into convoys and given passes to move under security cover. This cover is provided by escort vehicles, both in front and rear, while there are standby guards at strategic points on both sides of the road. This arrangement is in force for the last 12 years. 

On the fateful day of October 3, when the first convoy of hundreds of vehicles was proceeding towards Ambassa, extremists opened indiscriminate fire from automatic weapons at Chamalchhara, 29 km away from Teliamura. Smt Utparna Datta, a teacher in Silchar Central School, received a fatal bullet injury and succumbed in her bus seat itself. Another passenger and the assistant driver of the same bus also received bullet injuries. 

When a security party retaliated after being informed about the attack, an exchange of fire took place for some time. But the extremists made good their escape in the dense forest after hurling a grenade towards the security personnel. One CRPF man received minor injuries from the grenade’s splinters. While the injured in the passenger bus were given first aid at Kulai Hospital, the injured CRPF jawan was sent to the G B Pant Hospital, Agartala, for treatment. 

In another incident, ATTF gunmen launched a most cowardly attack on a GMP supporter family at Masurai Chowdhurypara under Champahour police station, Khowai subdivision in West Tripura district. Having failed to find at home Debendra Debbarma, the targeted GMP worker, the killers gunned down his wife, Ramani Debbarma. Anticipating this attack, Debendra Debbarma had escaped just before the killers intruded into the house. 

Both the attacks evoked widespread condemnation from all sections of the people. The CPI(M)’s Tripura state secretariat expressed deep sympathy for the bereaved families of Utparna Datta and Ramani Debbarma, and wished early recovery of the injured. These inhuman ghastly incidents are part of the diabolic plot of the anti-Left Front parties who are patronising the secessionist extremists to carry on their violent activities, as was warned by the CPI(M) some days back. The party’s statement added that these dastardly attacks were a desperate bid to divert the people’s attention from the erosion in their ranks the extremist groups have suffered because of retaliatory firings, arrests and surrenders. The party called upon all its units to further step up their political and ideological offensive against the extremists and expose the real face of their patrons. Chief minister Manik Sarkar, Tripura Left Front Committee and Tripura Rajya Upajati Ganamukti Parishad also condemned these attacks and sent condolences to the victims’ families. (INN)