AGARTALA: The 24-hour IPFT strike, in support of their demand for a separate Tipraland, in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) brought life to a standstill in the region on Thursday.
There were no vehicles on roads, businesses downed shutters, while Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) cancelled local train services. Additional forces were deployed at ADC headquarters at Khumlung and the sensitive locations having mixed populated areas. However, there is no report of any untoward incident so far.
Party spokesperson Mangal Debbarma said the strike was called to press for their long-pending demands, including formation of separate state — Tipraland, elevating the status of ADC. Apart from that, BJP had forged an alliance before the last assembly elections with IPFT with certain commitments for empowerment of indigenous people of the state, he said.
“We don’t understand why the government did not elevate Tripura ADC to a separate entity, even though it occupies about 68% area of the state. Because of the apathetic attitude of the government, tribal population in Tripura has reduced to 33% over the last 50 years and is subjected to suffering in respects,” Mangal observed.
He said that IPFT was born with the commitment to fight for the establishment of legitimate rights of the indigenous people of Tripura and for that reason, the party joined hands with BJP. However, even after half of the tenure of the current government, the commitment could not be fulfilled, he added.