Agartala, Oct 23: Train services across Tripura were severely disrupted on Thursday after activists of the Tipra Motha Party (TMP)-affiliated Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS) blocked railway tracks at multiple locations during a 24-hour statewide shutdown. The strike was called in support of an eight-point charter of demands, including the deportation of illegal migrants.
According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), a total of nine trains—including four express services—were cancelled, short-terminated, or controlled due to the protests. NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the affected trains included the Sabroom–Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express, Charlapalli (Hyderabad)–Agartala Express, Silchar–Agartala Express, and Agartala–Silchar Express, along with five local passenger trains.
The sudden cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded at various stations, causing widespread inconvenience. Sharma said that railway tracks were blocked at several points in West Tripura and Khowai districts from early morning, forcing authorities to suspend or alter train operations for safety reasons.
A senior police official said picketers carrying national flags staged sit-ins at over 52 key locations across the state, including highways and railway tracks. “No untoward incident has been reported. The situation remains under control,” the official said, adding that heavy security, including personnel from the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), had been deployed.
Led by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, the TCS has demanded the implementation of the Tiprasa Accord, deportation of illegal immigrants, establishment of detention camps in each district, early elections to Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), and the introduction of the Inner Line Permit system.
Debbarma said that despite directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the state government has yet to take effective measures against illegal immigration.
