Vehicles were hired free of cost. Yet many of them ran almost empty. Several quintals of cooked meat were also distributed for free. It was an extravagant arrangement, reinforced by threats and intimidation in different localities. Despite all this, on January 10, Damchhara witnessed a dull and uninspiring public meeting of the Tripura chief minister, staged by mobilising people from across North Tripura district.

Twenty-five days later, the same soil of the martyrs told a very different story. This time, people paid for their own transport. There was no free food. Instead, there were warnings and threats not to attend the rally. Defying fear and intimidation, the people of Damchhara came out in large numbers responding to the call of the Red Flag. Once again, on February 4, hundreds of distressed men and women — both tribal and non-tribal — demonstrated their deep commitment to the Red Flag and its ideals.

Under the harsh midday sun, people sat and stood patiently, listening attentively to the leaders to understand the current political situation. The main speaker, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and secretary of the Tripura State Committee Jitendra Chaudhury, laid out facts and arguments to expose the betrayal of the BJP–Tipra Motha alliance. His speech sparked discussions among elderly participants like Malati Reang, Birendra Das and Congressjoy Halam, and younger attendees such as Jackson Reang. They said the BJP-Tipra Motha had given the people nothing; instead, it had deepened crises of unemployment and hunger. With the ADC elections approaching, leaders of both parties have again begun visiting the area to mislead the people. “This time, they will be given a clear answer,” they said.

Before the rally, a spirited procession marched through the market area, raising slogans against anti-people policies and demanding greater powers for the ADC. The rally was organised by the CPI(M) Panisagar Sub-divisional Committee. Apart from Jitendra Chaudhury, State Secretariat member Rajendra Reang, Sub-divisional Committee secretary Ajit Das, and District Secretariat member Rajendra Reang (junior) addressed the rally. The meeting was presided over by Dhirendra Das and Krishirung Reang. Also present were State Secretariat member Amitabh Dutta, District Committee secretary Abhijit Dey, and veteran leader Gandhansingh Rupini.

Across Damchhara, signs of neglect and underdevelopment under the BJP-led state government and the Tipra Motha-run ADC administration are evident. Roads are broken, water taps lie damaged, and electricity poles stand shattered. A local businessman cited the Damchhara crematorium as a stark example of this decay. Built during the Left Front government as part of its major development initiatives, the crematorium has allegedly been neglected under the BJP regime. Instead of maintaining it, certain ruling party leaders reportedly dismantled iron pillars from the site and sold them in the market. Ajit Das also raised this issue in his speech.

Addressing the gathering, Jitendra Chaudhury said that despite inducements and threats, the BJP has failed to mobilise popular support across the state. The Tipra Motha faces the same situation. Because of their betrayal of the people, both parties are becoming increasingly isolated. Acting as a “sacrificial rooster” for the BJP, the top leadership of the Motha helped bring the BJP back to power in the 2023 elections. Behind their secret understanding lay vested interests of money, property and power.

He pointed out the contradiction in their claims: on the one hand, they speak of “no compromise” and on the other, they allege that the state government is not releasing funds to the ADC. The Tiprasa Accord was supposed to be implemented within six months, yet nothing has been done. What kind of compromise, then, is taking place? The agreement makes no mention of Greater Tipraland, the inclusion of the Kokborok language in the Eighth Schedule, or the enhancement of ADC powers. He asked what contribution the Tipra Motha-led ADC has made towards the development of tribal language and culture.

Chaudhury further said that both the BJP and the Motha are claiming they will win all 28 seats in the ADC elections. Both parties have betrayed the people’s trust. While ordinary people have seen no improvement in their lives, leaders and ministers have prospered by looting public money. They no longer have the moral authority to face the people and are steadily distancing themselves from them.

Warning that the BJP–Motha combine is hatching fresh conspiracies to cling to power, Chaudhury called upon the people to remain vigilant and united. He urged everyone to resist the government’s authoritarian policies, strengthening the struggle to defend the Constitution, democracy and democratic rights. Rajendra Reang, in his address, said the BJP–Motha alliance is engaged in large-scale plunder and deception, and that its real face must be exposed before the people. 

The country will become more indebted, not self-reliant: Choudhury

Jitendra Choudhury described the Union Budget for 2026-27 as negative and anti-people. In his view, this Budget will not make India self-reliant. Instead, it will push the country further into debt. He also argued that it will increase pressure on the rural population. This Budget contains nothing new or positive. There was never any real expectation that it would bring anything beneficial for the country’s working people. Yet, every year the Budget is surrounded by hype and embellished with catchy phrases, and this year was no exception. What has been unfolding over the last 10–11 years has reached a grim culmination through this Budget.

He said the Budget is deeply disappointing and reflects how the country’s economy is steadily moving backwards. Every year, the government presents a Budget based on assumptions. In this case, the revenue projected for the 2025–26 financial year was nowhere near being achieved. Expenditure on welfare sectors, as projected in the previous year, had to be cut because the expected revenue did not materialise. This has been reflected once again in this year’s Budget. Even this year, allocations for central schemes bearing the Prime Minister’s name, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, have not increased compared to last year.

He said that from the very beginning, instead of increasing taxes on corporate entities — who could have been taxed to raise revenue — this government has done the opposite by writing off their loans. To bridge the income gap, the tax burden is being imposed on ordinary people. When even that fails to generate sufficient revenue, duties are being increased on petrol and diesel. From ordinary farmers to small transport workers, the government is trying to cover its deficit by imposing duties on them. Even that is not working, because there is no new investment in the country. Even the few remaining public sector undertakings are not seeing investment. Government investment has declined, and private companies are also not investing. He said that the days ahead will be even more frightening and that this Budget will have negative repercussions. Pressure on rural people will increase.