CAB: INPT blocks road and railways in Tripura

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authorities have suspended train service in the section till this evening.

However, schedule of Sealdah bound Kanchenjunga Express was preponed to 0130 hrs from its scheduled departure at 0555 hrs.

The New Delhi bound Tripura Sundari Express has been rescheduled at 1830 hrs from 1400 hrs.

The transport services in southern part of Tripura are unaffected and trains have been moving as usual.

Vehicular movement from Agartala to Northern towns has been suspended on the national highway for the day. A large number of loaded trucks are stranded in both side of Baramura hill range in West Tripura since early morning.

The state government opposed the strike and beefed up security in the stretches of national highway and railway where blockade is going on. The government made the presence of public servants in the offices mandatory and exams of the state government schools are being conducted as usual.

Meanwhile, INPT president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawal said hundreds of indigenous people, cutting across party affiliations, joined the agitation against CAB to protect the right of the tribals of the region.

He stated that defying the united opposition of various political parties including BJP’s allies, the Union cabinet approved the bill for presenting in parliament, which indicated the autocratic nature of centre.

The INPT would continue to oppose the proposed bill and said, "We told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that it will create law and order problem in the entire Northeast region. In Tripura, too, almost all major political parties except BJP are strongly opposed to the bill and they must restrain from pasing the bill in this stage."

Hrangkhawal pointed out that due to continuous influx from the erstwhile East Pakistan and the present Bangladesh after accession of Tripura with Indian Union in 1949, the indigenous population of the state have been reduced to minority but somehow both tribal and non-tribals have been coexisting peacefully for the past few decades.

The recent move of CAB will seriously impact upon the life, culture and economy of Tripura.

 “We have made it very clear, if government wants it can give citizenship to any foreigner under CAB and settle them in bigger states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where land and other resources are in abundance but not in northeast. We have given shelter to more than our original population and there is no more scope, and we shall prevent it at any cost,” Hrangkhawal warned.

Meanwhile, Tripura royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman appealed all indigenous communities including non-tribals of Tripura to support the movement against CAB but should not be violent and disturb the common people.

He stated, “For 70 years some people have termed the Tiprasa community (tribal) as 'terrorists' and 'violent'. Let those people not get another chance to call us names. We should protest democratically and peacefully.”

He added, “If the bill is tabled and passed in the Parliament. we will get the best lawyers available in India to take up this matter in Supreme Court unitedly.