Agartala, Sept 24: In a landmark event today, Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha declared Tripura free from insurgency during a special ceremony held at the TSR 7th Battalion headquarters in Jampuijala. The event marked the return of members of the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) to mainstream life, signaling an end to decades of unrest in the state.
“We are witnessing a historic day. From now on, we can proudly say that Tripura has zero insurgency,” stated the Chief Minister while addressing the gathering. He acknowledged the peace accords signed between the Government of India, the state government, and these insurgent groups, which paved the way for this achievement. The Chief Minister also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritizing the development of the Northeast, stating, “Development of India is incomplete without the development of the Northeast. The Prime Minister has taken several steps to ensure this region prospers.”
As part of the peace accord, members of the ATTF and NLFT laid down their arms and pledged to integrate into mainstream society. A total of 584 insurgents surrendered their weapons, including 261 from NLFT (BM), 100 from NLFT (PD), 100 from NLFT (ORI), and 123 from ATTF. The surrendered weapons included 9 AK series rifles, 1 revolver, 1 rifle, 89 country guns, 8 factory-made guns, 7 landmines, and 13 pistols.
The leaders of both NLFT and ATTF, including NLFT (BM) president Biswamohan Debbarma, NLFT (PD) president Parimal Debbarma, NLFT (ORI) president Prasenjit Debbarma, and ATTF president Alindra Debbarma, personally handed over their AK series rifles to the Chief Minister in a symbolic gesture of peace.
Chief Minister Saha welcomed the militants back into the mainstream, expressing optimism that their reintegration would further accelerate the state’s development process. He highlighted that over 10,000 militants across the Northeast have returned to normal life through the signing of 12 peace accords, three of which involved Tripura.
DGP Amitabha Ranjan delivered the welcome address at the event, while Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Home Secretary Dr. P.K. Chakraborty, and other senior officials were in attendance. The vote of thanks was given by Anurag Dhyankar, Director General of Law and Order and Intelligence, Tripura Police.
This significant step is seen as a major leap towards lasting peace and development in Tripura, reinforcing the government’s commitment to ensuring stability in the region.
