Sabroom (South Tripura):

The TIPRA Motha, a key ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, organised a massive rally today to condemn the ongoing violence against minorities and indigenous tribals in Bangladesh.

The protest, held in Sabroom, a border town close to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, drew attention to the recent “organized attacks” that have left many tribals dead and hundreds homeless.

Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, the founder of TIPRA Motha and erstwhile royal from Tripura, led the rally, which was aimed at urging India to make a diplomatic move about Bangladesh’s failure to protect minority communities.

Speaking at the event, Mr Debbarma expressed deep concern over the escalating violence, which has been linked to illegal settlers and the Bangladesh Army.

Warning Bangladesh that “history could repeat itself”, Mr Debbarma drew parallel between the formation of Bangladesh and the current situation.

“Bangladesh was created out of Pakistan, a country that did not safeguard its minorities. If Bangladesh treats its minorities the same way, it could face a similar fate, fragmenting once again. India should not be held responsible for this, as Bangladesh will be solely accountable for its actions,” Mr Debbarma said.

Mr Debbarma highlighted the cyclical nature of targeted violence in Bangladesh, which resurfaces nearly every decade, and stressed the need for urgent international intervention.

He questioned why India, which has taken strong positions on violence and human rights violations in far-off regions like Israel and Palestine, remains relatively quiet about similar issues in the neighboring country.

He also emphasized India’s and specifically Tripura’s critical role in Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan in 1971, when the state served as a strategic base for the Mukti Bahini. 

Elements within Bangladesh are now threatening India, he said.

The rally in Sabroom saw hundreds of participants carrying banners, posters, and placards condemning the ongoing persecution of minorities and indigenous communities in Bangladesh.

The protesters called attention to recent incidents in the CHT, where numerous indigenous people have been killed and displaced. Their homes and shops were reportedly burned in attacks carried out allegedly by illegal settlers.

Since the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government and the establishment of an interim administration, there has been a sharp rise in attacks on minority Hindus and other religious communities in Bangladesh.

The rally highlighted the urgent need for India to take diplomatic action to ensure that the human rights of minorities and tribals in Bangladesh are protected.
              
 

Guwahati:

Twelve people have been injured in clashes between supporters of Tripura’s ruling BJP and Tipra Motha — the new party formed by  erstwhile royal Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman — at the state’s Sepahijala district. Among the injured are several policemen, who were trying to bring the mob under control. Several two-wheelers have been vandalised and Rathindra Debbarma, the officer-in-charge of the Takarjala police station is among the injured.

All the injured have received medical treatment at the Takarjala Primary Health Center.

Tipra Motha workers have been accused of obstructing BJP workers from participating in a pre-scheduled event, which led to the clashes. There are counterclaims that outsiders affiliated with the BJP were responsible for causing disturbances in the region.

Takarjala MLA and Tipra Motha leader Biswajit Koloi has accused the BJP of bringing outsiders into the area and inciting violence that is harming the locals.

Mr Koloi also criticised the role of the police and the ruling party in the incident and alleged that everything was pre-planned.

The clashes have disrupted life in Jampuijala and Takarjala, and the areas remain tense. A large number of security forces have been deployed to prevent further escalation of violence.

The BJP had been conducting a campaign in the Takarjala and Jampuijala areas for the last few days, which was to end with a workers’ conference led by the party’s state president Rajib Bhattacharya.

The conference was to be held at the Bukruai Community Hall in Jampuijala block.

But Tipra Motha supporters allegedly obstructed BJP workers from reaching Takarjala and Jampuijala. Nine BJP workers sustained injuries in the altercation that followed.
The BJP state president said the party is bolstering its presence across the state ahead of the parliamentary election and the seats are meant as a gift for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.