Agartala, September 20:
Civil society groups in Tripura have announced a dawn-to-dusk statewide strike on October 13 to press for a seven-point charter of demands, primarily focusing on indigenous rights, border security, and implementation of pending agreements. The announcement was made by Tipra Motha MLA and former militant leader Ranjit Debbarma during a press conference held on Saturday, accompanied by representatives from various civil society organizations.
Debbarma clarified that the strike is strictly non-political. “This movement is sponsored by civil society groups and has no affiliation with any political party,” he said. “We have put forth these seven demands for the government to seriously consider.”
The first demand calls for the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, citing Ministry of Home Affairs directives that Tripura has allegedly failed to act upon. The second seeks the establishment of detention camps to hold those identified as illegal migrants, following examples set by Assam.
The third demand urges the government to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Tripura’s Sixth Schedule areas to curb infiltration. The fourth demands the strengthening of the Special Task Force (STF) by including personnel from the Indian Army and paramilitary forces, replacing or supplementing the current state police-led unit.
The fifth point pushes for immediate implementation of the Tripartite Tiprasa Accord, pending for 18 months. The final two demands are for official recognition of Roman script for Kokborok and the cancellation of fake ST certificates through proper verification processes.
The strike, set from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., will exempt essential services such as ambulances, fire services, power, water, postal services, and milk or fuel transport. Pharmacies, fruit shops, hotels, sweet shops, and media personnel will also be excluded from the bandh.
