September 19, 2021
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CPI(M) Writes to PM on Tripura Violence

Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist), wrote a letter to the prime minister of India on September 9, drawing his attention to the outrageous violence let loose on the CPI(M) and the Left Front in Tripura on September 8, and expecting an urgent response. The following is the text of the letter.

IN a pre-planned fashion, scores of offices of the CPI(M), including the state headquarters, were attacked by mobs of BJP men.  Among the offices which were damaged or burnt down are the Udaipur sub-divisional office, Gomati district committee office; Sepahijala district committee office; Bishalgarh sub-divisional committee office, Santar Bazar sub-divisional office; West Tripura district committee office and the Sadar sub-divisional committee office.

The most brazen attack was on the state committee office in Agartala.  They have ransacked the ground and first floors of the office, burnt two office cars and broken the bust of Dasarath Deb, a revered leader of the people of Tripura.

Houses of many leaders and activists of the CPI(M) were attacked, ransacked or set on fire.

Even the media was not spared with attacks on the offices.  The office of the newspaper ‘Daily Desharkatha’, which is supported by the CPI(M), was also damaged.

It is to be noted that the police who were present at many of these venues remained silent bystanders.  In the case of state committee office, some CRPF jawans were present in front of the office but they were withdrawn an hour before the attack began.
 
The impunity with which the attackers operated shows the connivance of the state government.  These attacks took place because the ruling party has tried and failed to suppress the activities of the main opposition in the state.

We strongly urge you to intervene without any delay to stop these violent attacks against the CPI(M) and the Left Front. The manner in which the attacks took place makes it clear that the state government is grossly failing in discharging its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order and trampling on the constitutional rights of the opposition to organise political activities in a peaceful manner.

The failure of the police, if not connivance, to check the violence and book the culprits makes it imperative that the central government act to enforce the constitutional principles.