The 12-hour bandh called by the Tripura People’s Front (TRF) on Wednesday has paralyzed normal life in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council areas.
TRF called the bandh in protest against the recent killing of a fireman, Biswajit Debbarma in mob violence in Tripura’s Panisagar sub-division.
TPF workers blocked the national highways and rail routes in different locations within the autonomous council area, leading to the cancellation of all trains from Agartala on Wednesday morning.
On November 21 the victim had been attacked by an unruly mob, while a Joint Movement Committee (JMC) member was killed in a firing by Tripura State Rifles jawans, who had been trying to control protestors from blocking the national highway in Panisagar.
Thirty five people were also injured in the incident.
Also read: Tripura: Indefinite strike begins opposing resettlement of Bru-Reang refugees in Kanchanpur
The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident
The Panisagar and Kanchanpur sub-divisions had recently witnessed huge agitations and blockades spearheaded by the JMC, a platform of local Bengali sand Mizos in protest against the resettlement of Bru-Reang refugees in the Kanchanpur sub-division.
The JMC claims that resettlement of these refugees will damage the already fragile ecology of the sub-division.
These refugees have been living in six refugee camps in Kanchanpur sub-division since 1997 after they fled from neighbouring Mizoram after being persecuted in an ethnic clash.
During a multi-cornered meeting held in January this year, the Union government directed the Tripura government to resettle these refugees in the state.
Meanwhile, JMC leaders met state deputy chief minister, Jishnu Debbarman on Tuesday and demanded justice for both victims along with a compensation of rupees 20 lakhs to each of their families.
State police have also warned social media users to refrain from creating communal disharmony after a video of the mob-violence in Panisagarn had gone viral.
