Agartala: Mar 03: A discussion meeting was organized on Monday to commemorate the 51st Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Dhananjay Tripura. The event took place at the Student Health Home and was attended by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Left Front Convener Narayan Kar, and other dignitaries.
During his speech, former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar highlighted the challenges faced by those working in the interest of the people with a democratic perspective since the time of the princely rule. He noted that various political parties in Tripura often raise slogans to serve their narrow political interests, rather than organizing movements to implement the demands mentioned in those slogans. Sarkar emphasized that conspiracies and plots are frequently made to thwart such movements.
Sarkar also criticized the kings of Tripura for not taking necessary steps for the welfare of the tribal population during their rule. He mentioned that the tribal population was high and most people were illiterate at that time. To address this issue, the Jana Shiksha Samiti was formed, consisting of an 11 to 12-member committee that took the initiative to spread education among the tribals through private efforts.
While discussing the martyrdom of Shaheed Dhananjay Tripura, Sarkar recounted the events of 1975 when the Ganamukti Parishad decided to organize a united movement with four demands. At that time, the Congress government was in power in the state. As the movement gained momentum, some organizations withdrew their support. The Ganamukti Parishad then called for a state-wide law disobedience movement on March 3, 1975, in front of Jolaibari Tehsil in the present Shantirbazar subdivision. Dhananjay Tripura was martyred in police firing during this movement. Despite this, the movement continued, and a successful strike was called across Tripura on March 6, 1975. The movement persisted until the emergency was declared, followed by the Lok Sabha elections, in which Congress was defeated.
Sarkar further criticized the kings of Tripura for their reluctance to spread education among the tribals and their attempts to obstruct the work of the Jana Shiksha Samiti. However, he acknowledged that the Jana Shiksha Samiti managed to establish many schools privately across the state, overcoming all obstacles.
