Agartala, September 2: Representatives of seven groups comprising surrendered militants on Tuesday inspected several locations across Tripura to identify strategic points for their proposed 72-hour statewide shutdown, scheduled to begin on September 4.
During the inspection, NLFT (ORI Group) president Prasenjit Debbarma accused Ranjit Debbarma, without naming him directly at first, of acting against their interests and described him as a “traitor.” He also urged the state government to take action against him and demanded his arrest.
Prasenjit Debbarma alleged that during the ongoing Assembly session on September 1, statements were made that allegedly defamed him by referring to him as “Prasenjit Debbarma” in connection with certain allegations. He further accused Ranjit Debbarma of campaigning against the September 4 shutdown and appealing to people not to support it.
According to the surrendered groups, the proposed shutdown will affect key locations including Hathai Kotor, railway routes and Khowai Chowmuhani, with the groups calling for the bandh to be observed across Tripura.
Why the Groups Are Calling the Shutdown
The groups said they had earlier raised their demands on June 12, after which the Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma, the IGP and other senior officials allegedly assured them that their problems would be resolved. However, they claimed that their demands remain unresolved.
They also referred to an agreement reached in 2024 with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that they had surrendered their arms and ammunition as part of the peace process. According to them, several commitments made after the agreement, including the issuance of identity cards, have still not been fulfilled.
Another major demand concerns the SEDP (Socio-Economic Development Programme). The groups alleged that the word “Economic” was subsequently removed from the programme’s name, turning it into “SDP” under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
They are demanding that the programme be restored as SEDP, saying the economic component is important for the rehabilitation and development of surrendered militants and tribal communities.
Seven Groups Join the Protest
The proposed shutdown is being jointly supported by seven groups, including: ATTF – Alendra Group, NLFT – Hastepha Group, NLFT – Parimal Group, Members associated with JAC, Members associated with JARC, NLFT (ORI Group), Other surrendered militant representatives
The groups have appealed to people across Tripura, particularly members of the tribal and indigenous communities, to observe the September 4 shutdown peacefully.
At the same time, they warned that if any untoward incident occurs during the shutdown, they would not accept responsibility, stating that responsibility for maintaining law and order would rest with the state government and administration.
The groups said their objective is to press the government to fulfil the commitments allegedly made during the peace and rehabilitation process and to resolve the pending issues of surrendered cadres.
