People's Democracy

Thousands Join Jail Bharo Action

JOINING the voice of protest raised all over the country to caution the centre not to burden the common people of the country, thousands of people in Tripura courted arrest on five urgent demands on November 8. The court arrest programme took place at 21 places covering all the subdivision and district headquarters, when about 1.5 lakh people joined in the law breaking actions.

Apart from the CITU, the TUCC, AITUC, UTUC etc. also joined the movement in Agartala and some other subdivisions. At least 49 sectoral organisations affiliated to these trade unions took part in the Jail Bharo movement. Students, youth, kisans, agricultural workers and women also joined this movement, showing fraternity with the working class.

When the huge processions of law-breakers approached the barricades, people standing by the roadside greeted them with cheers and applause. Many employees’ organisations like those in banks, insurance and telecom as well as government employees expressed their earnest support to the issues raised by the Jail Bharo movement.

In Agartala, protesters started in a procession from Battala and, wending their way through the main town roads, came in front of the Akashvani Bhavan where the police blocked their way. When the protestors jumped over two barricades and came to the third one, they were declared arrested. They were detained in a temporary, makeshift jail but were released after enlistment. State secretariat  member Gautam Das who is also the editor of the party organ,  Daily Desher Katha,  CITU state secretary Pijush Nag, CITU leader Sankar Datta and Kalipada Bhattacharjee were among those arrested in front of the Akashvani Bhavan. A total of 13,048 persons courted arrest here.

A similar Jail Bhoro action was organised before the Doordarshan Bhavan at A D Nagar. CPI(M) leader Subrata Chakraborty, women’s leader and Rajya Sabha member Jharna Das (Baidya) and former Rajya Sabha member Matilal Sarkar were among those who were arrested here.