Haripada Das
AT the call of the AIDWA Tripura unit, an impressive women rally was held on December 19, 2022, at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan Lane. Apart from state women leaders, the rally was addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau members, Brinda Karat and Manik Sarkar. AIDWA state president, Ramani Debbarma presided over the public meeting.
Conveying solidarity with the state’s women who are the worst victims during the current BJP rule in the state, Brinda said they must be fought bravely. She said from the day the BJP alliance assumed power in the state there is no respite from the attacks on the opposition and these are still going on unabated. Only a few days back, Sahid Mia, a 76-year-old, was killed for participating in a deputation to the officials at Charilam. The main accused in this murder case who is absconding according to the police is invited to a school opening ceremony and shares the same dais with ministers in presence of district police officers. Thousands of Left cadres and supporters are being physically assaulted, hospitalised. The state president of the ruling BJP had led its gangsters to set fire to the state office of the main opposition party and two newspaper offices. The ruling BJP has left no stone unturned to keep the opposition parties immobilised in the state.
Referring to the G-20 summit in India, Brinda Karat suggested that the prime minister should demonstrate before the G-20 members what kind of democracy they have set up in the state of Tripura. Explaining BJP’s approach towards the secular idea, Brinda Karat said, in the name of ‘Amrita Mahotsav’ they are spreading communal venom to convert India to a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. They have moved a private member’s bill demanding constitutional amendment to delete the word ‘Secular’ from the constitution.
The prime minister is shedding crocodile tears for the tribals. On the contrary, the day DroupadiMurmu was sworn in as President of India, in the same week, BJP passed an amendment to the Forest Right Act rejecting the right of the gram sabha over the forest. Narrating the deteriorating law and order situation prevailing in the state at present, Brinda Karat said, besides political attacks, the people of Tripura are passing days in a horrific law and order situation. Murder, rape, gang rape, kidnapping, theft, taking ransom, etc., are becoming common. In most of the rape cases, the BJP cadres, including relatives of ministers are found as accused. Tripura has been made a corridor of drug trafficking resulting in a large number of youth getting addicted to it.
The heroic women of the state would materialise their zeal in the ensuing assembly election to get rid of this black rule, Brinda Karat hoped.
Manik Sarkar in his address refuted all the issues that the prime minister claimed on the previous day. To show tribals’ love for BJP, Modi referred to BJP’s victory in Gujarat, but he carefully did not mention BJP’s shocking defeat in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi Municipal elections. In the same way, he averted the mention of the ‘vision document’ which was their trump card in the last assembly election. Mentioning the ongoing fascistic terror unleashed by the BJP, Manik Sarkar said, democratic rights, human rights, fundamental rights, etc., are just nonexistent in the state. The constitution of the country has been made defunct in Tripura. In every place, the BJP leaders are spreading ‘jhumlas’. Thus, the people of Tripura are preparing in every house to teach lessons to the ruling BJP.
Manik Sarkar urged the prime minister that he should have the guts to let the Election Commission of India work independently, let the police administration work without being interfered with, and take action against the bike-ridden terror gangs who are spreading terror in the state.
In conclusion, Manik Sarkar urged the women gathering to maintain lively individual contact with the people, and gather the accumulated wrath of the people in the ballot box to ensure the victory of Left and democratic forces in the state.
