THIS is the new order in Tripura. Here the democratic rights of peaceful protest marches and meetings are denied without a proper cause. On November 13th, police denied permission to a peaceful procession of peasants and agricultural workers.  The organisers had sought proper and prior permission for the programme. But as thousands of kisans, agricultural workers, Jumias started gathering at Paradise Chowomohoni,  police raised barriers on all the sides to prevent them from marching ahead. 

This is not the first time that such undemocratic attitude of police has come to the fore.  Previously a march to Raj Bhavan by Tripura Tapasili Jati Samanway Samiti was also prevented by the police. On 13th too, police denied permission for a march. But they could not prevent them holding a peaceful but determined meeting. 

A presidium comprising of Bhanulal Saha, Pabitra Kar and Tunubala Malakar presided over the meeting. AIKS joint secretary and GMP president Jitendra Choudhury, AIKS state secretary Narayan Kar and TKMU state secretary Babul Bhadra addressed the meeting attended among others by leader of opposition, Manik Sarkar. 

Jitendra Choudhury said, this government has denied permission to the ‘annadata’ kissans. There were no prohibitory orders in the city.  The ruling party is not prevented from taking out processions.  Then why the peasants, Jumias  and khet majdoors are not allowed?  Modi government has given loan waiver worth lakhs of crores to the corporate houses but doesn’t give relief to the farmers.  The irrigation projects started by Left Front government are now not working as the pump operators are not getting wages, the farmers are not getting fertilisers, they are forced to sell paddy at a much lower price than the MSP. The budget of MGNREGA has shrunk to a meagre 400 crores from 1400 crores.  He said this government should not use police to prevent peaceful protests. If the hungry masses resort to break the law the situation will be out of control for government. 

Narayan Kar said this government is afraid of the poor people who want to speak of their hunger.  The recent Bulbul has done huge damage to the paddy.  But the government is mum. There is a famine like situation in villages and tribal areas. People are mortgaging their ration cards. This government is pushing the state to a situation that existed 50 years ago. People will not accept it. On January 8th the peasants and agricultural workers too will join the countrywide general strike.                   

MLAs obstructed to visit gutted CPI(M) office

ON November 14, a delegation of MLAs led by Manik Sarkar was obstructed to visit the gutted office of the CPI(M) in Dhanpur assembly segment. The office of the Party was set to fire on November 12 by the BJP hoodlums. This delegation comprised Tapan Chakraborty, Ratan Bhowmik, Sudhan Das, Narayan Chowdhury and Shyamal Chakroborty.

the delegation had apprised the DGP(director general of police) well in advance, the police did not act and allowed the hoodlums to obstruct the delegation one kilometer away from the venue. he CPI(M) Tripura State Secretariat issued following statement                    

The Machima market is in the Dhanpur assembly constituency from where Manik Sarkar got elected in 5 consecutive terms in the assembly. But he was not allowed to visit his constituency by the BJP workers.

Since March 3, 2018 the day of declaration of Tripura Legislative Assembly election result, like other places of the state, in Sonamura Sub Division also the BJP workers let loose planned fascistic attacks upon opposition political parties and specially upon leaders, workers and sympathisers of CPI(M) and its offices. In Dhanpur constituency, Biswajit Bhowmik, younger brother of BJP leader Pratima Bhowmik, MP is leading the BJP miscreants in all such fascistic attacks. Several FIRs were lodged in the past but not a single miscreant was arrested by the police.

There is no existence of democracy and rule of law in the state. The elected representatives of the opposition parties cannot visit their constituencies freely, prevention of CPI(M) MLAs by BJP miscreants is another glaring instance. The CPI(M) state secretariat  condemned this act of the BJP miscreants. The CPI(M) called upon all democracy loving people of the state to come forward unitedly against BJP and the dictatorial state government.