With a grim face, she walks back and forth in the courtyard holding on to her mother’s sari. Fear is written all over her face. There is a tense, gloomy look on her face. When asked her name, she replied in a faint, trembling voice — Sania Akhtar. She is six years old and studies in Class One. Before the conversation could even finish, Sania’s mother responded, “Since that day, my daughter can’t sleep at night. She clings to me saying ‘fire, fire.’ When she cries, I cover her mouth so that no one can hear the sound. We too cannot sleep out of fear.” When Sania was asked what had happened at home, she stayed silent for a while, then pointed at the burnt ruins in the courtyard and said, “There was beating… there was fire…” Sania is the niece of Musabbir Ali, who was targeted in a barbaric manner by goons raising the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan.

Even today, the horrifying face of the communal violence that took place on the morning of January 10 between around 9 and 9:30 continues to haunt Musabbir Ali’s family members. The women of the house break down in tears. Musabbir Ali is the person with whom the tension began on January 10 morning over a small argument related to collecting donations for the Bhairab Mela at Shimultala in Fatikroy. Raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram,” attackers set fire to and vandalised the mosque, houses, shops, and vehicles. Musabbir Ali was beaten up and injured. The family alleges that while he was admitted in Unakoti District Hospital, the police arrested him and took him away. In a rampage that lasted from half an hour to one hour that day, 16 houses, three shops, a mosque, vehicles, dredgers, and a tractor were set on fire. There were also incidents of attacks on homes. Even ten days after the incident, the burn marks and the axe and machete cuts on doors, tin sheets, and boundary fences remain glaringly visible.

On January 21, Tripura Assembly’s Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury visited the devastated village. He witnessed with his own eyes the burnt and vandalised mosque, houses, and the wreckage of vehicles. He spoke to the women of the affected families. They narrated the details of the incident and described the present atmosphere of terror to him. Many unknown facts emerged from them. The women told him, “We are happy that you have come to enquire about us. The MLA of Fatikroy Assembly constituency, who is also a minister, had come to the village the same evening. He saw everything and left. He did not speak to any of us.”

There are 43 Muslim families living in Shimultala. Many Hindu families also live nearby. At the entrance of the locality, there is a temple. The mela is organised around that Bhairab temple. On the occasion of the mela, organisers were stopping vehicles and collecting donations in the morning of January 10.

One eyewitness told the Leader of the Opposition that a vehicle loaded with timber was coming around 8 am. They stopped the vehicle and demanded a donation from the driver. The driver told them, “I am not the owner. The owner is Musabbir Ali of this village.” When the driver called the owner, Musabbir Ali came there. The organisers demanded a donation of Rs 5,000. Musabbir Ali replied, “There isn’t even Rs 3,000 worth of timber in the vehicle. How can I pay Rs 5,000?” First an argument began, and then some organisers attacked him and beat him. A few people from the locality, both Hindu and Muslim, tried to save Musabbir Ali, and they too were attacked. Soon after, those creating the tension made phone calls and gathered hundreds of people from nearby areas within moments. Then, raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram,” Shimultala turned into a scene of communal violence. The attackers barricaded the entire village from all sides and attacked one property after another. With children, they had to take shelter near a pond and in the bushes. Bricks were hurled onto rooftops. Tin boundary fences were broken and chopped into pieces with machetes. Doors were struck with machetes. Furniture was destroyed and looted. They alleged that these incidents took place even though police were present. The victims also said, “We survived only because TSR (Tripura State Rifles) personnel came after some time. Otherwise we would have been dead.”

Abdul Ahad, a mason by profession, had built his house there just two months ago. Jitendra Chaudhury witnessed how that house too was destroyed, set on fire, vandalised, and looted. Vehicles were also burnt. Abdul Ahad said that things would have been even worse if two Hindu men from a nearby area had not come forward. Hearing that the Leader of the Opposition was visiting, they were also present there. Chaudhury hailed them: You have done a noble act. You have set an example of humanity.” Shimultala has wiped off its tears, but anger is palpable. A woman, Khairunnisa, told the Leader of the Opposition that the men of the village had fled due to fear of both the attackers and the police. Even after so many days, the police have not come to record their statements. Instead, innocent people have been arrested. The guilty are roaming around proudly. Those who were beaten have been arrested, and the police are searching for the others. Standing by the victims, the Leader of the Opposition assured them, “We are with you. Do not be afraid. Be courageous.”

Speaking to journalists, Chaudhury said, “Shimultala is the naked face of the terror being unleashed across the country by the RSS-BJP in the name of building a so-called Hindu nation. This is a sample of barbaric rule. A whole locality was burnt over a small incident. The mosque was burnt down. Homes were vandalised and set on fire. Is this an example of good governance?” He said attempts are being made in a highly planned manner to create a violent mindset among some innocent youths. In the state, over the last nearly eight years, even a section of the administration has fallen victim to this mindset. The administrative machinery is being crippled. The communal forces that are cultivating violence are harming both the majority and minority communities. This should not happen.

The women complained angrily that they received only Rs 5,000 as compensation from the government. On this, Chaudhury said that even the district magistrate has admitted this. The district magistrate stated that the government has no scheme to provide compensation for such an incident. “A communal attack happened in broad daylight, and yet the government has no scheme to provide financial assistance to the victims? The administration did not stand by the affected people. What kind of rule are we living under? This is worse than British rule. Everyone, irrespective of political affiliation, must raise their voice against communal forces,” he said. CPI(M) State Committee member Swapan Kumar Vaishnab, Kumarghat Sub-Divisional Committee secretary Samiran Malakar, Sub-Divisional Secretariat member Sushital Debnath, and other leaders accompanied Chaudhury during the visit.

Despite the communal violence, Shimultala still stands for peace and harmony. The women said, “Allah and Bhagwan are the same — only the names are different. Then why this hatred and fighting? What is our crime? They burnt Allah’s house. During the Left Front government, no such incident ever happened. That government kept us in peace. Now violence is spreading. Attacks are happening. We want peace and harmony to be preserved. We want Hindus and Muslims to live together in unity.”

AIAWU Calls for Nationwide Protest against Dilution of MGNREGA

Agricultural workers across the country will take to the streets on February 2 in protest against the dilution of the country’s most significant law guaranteeing the right to work for rural people. Efforts will be made to involve millions of people from every panchayat of the country in this struggle, A Vijayaraghavan, president of the All India Agricultural Workers’ Union (AIAWU), said at a press conference after the conclusion of an important two-day meeting of the union’s central executive committee in Agartala. The meeting concluded on January 24.

The press conference at Agartala Town Hall was also attended by general secretary of the union B Venkat, joint secretary Vikram Singh, vice president Bhanulal Saha, and Tripura state committee secretary Shyamal Dey. Speaking on the deliberations, Vijayaraghavan said that all decisions taken by the Narendra Modi-led central government since the last winter session of Parliament have gone against the interests of the common people of the country. He said that after detailed discussion, it was found that measures ranging from attempts to dilute the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the repeal of labour laws to introduction of labour codes, the Electricity Amendment Bill and the Seed Bill have all been taken in the interest of corporate houses and are against the interests of the people.

The union has decided that since Parliament has come under corporate control, the working people will take control of the streets. On February 2, millions of agricultural workers will roar in protest across the country carrying red flags, responding to the call of AIAWU. Meetings will be organised in front of district magistrates’ offices in every district demanding the restoration of the old MGNREGA. In some places, demonstrations will also be held in front of sub-divisional magistrates’ and BDO offices. In addition, the All India Agricultural Workers’ Union will play a leading role at the village level in joint agitation programmes with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, All India Kisan Sabha, CITU, and other farmers’ organisations and trade unions. The union will also play an important role in the nationwide general strike on February 12. (Rahul Sinha)

Left will contest ADC election in Tripura with all its strength: Jitendra Chaudhury

THE Left will fight the upcoming election to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) with all its strength. We will field candidates in all 28 seats, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Tripura state secretary Jitendra Choudhury said at a press conference on January 22. Responding to a question about the public display of opposition between the BJP and the Tipra Motha, Choudhury said it is all drama —opposition in public, but united behind the scenes. Choudhury said that under the Sixth Schedule, ADC elections must be held every five years. The ADC elections cannot be kept pending the way the village committee elections have been stalled. The Sixth Schedule itself contains this provision. Therefore, the state government cannot simply avoid holding elections at will. Under the BJP-led alliance rule, no election in the state has been free, fair, or peaceful. How free, fair, and peaceful the upcoming ADC election will be — only the near future will tell.

Choudhury said that in this election, the Left Front will field candidates in all 28 seats. “We will fight with all our strength. For us, every election is the highest form of political struggle. Through elections, another opportunity is created to place the ongoing situation of the country and the state before the voters. We will attempt the same in the ADC election as well.” The BJP-IPFT-Tipra Motha coalition government and the Motha-led ADC administration have completely failed to solve people’s basic problems. They have not fulfilled a single promise. Ordinary people are boiling with anger and rising in protests. Even their party supporters are dissatisfied. Anger is building up. Public alienation from the BJP-Motha is increasing. In this situation, the two parties are fighting to divert people’s attention away from the real issues. This BJP-Motha fight is not for fulfilling people’s needs and demands, but to pacify the simmering public anger and prevent further public isolation.

Choudhury said people in both hill and plain areas are suffering. The condition in the ADC areas is extremely bad. Even while being in government, the BJP and the Tipra Motha are playing no role in improving the situation. They are fighting each other to maintain power and continue limitless looting. Ground-level workers are being pushed into clashes and violence, while top leaders remain busy maintaining close relations with one another. To mislead the public, top leaders of both parties are speaking of opposition openly. “If this fight is real, then why should it be on the streets and in the fields? Let it happen in the Secretariat, the Council of Ministers, or in the Assembly. If there is opposition, why are both parties together in the Council of Ministers? They are deceiving people in broad daylight. They are cheating the people.”

Recently, at a party meeting in Khowai, state BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee publicly threatened that the Khowai MLA would not be allowed to come out of his house. Regarding this, Jitendra Choudhury said, “What kind of language is this? If one is in the BJP, can one say anything? Ruling party workers threaten to skin the leader of the Opposition. Such language is an example of how the BJP is cultivating hatred.” Choudhury said that leaders of a party that cannot even elect its own state president, and where there is no democracy within the party or alliance, are trying to teach democracy to the communist party. “They should feel ashamed. We condemn this. They speak of good governance, but their actions are to encourage wrongdoing. People from all sections must raise their voices against this. Even within the BJP, those who stand for peace and democracy should also speak up within the party.” (Rahul Sinha)