North Tripura: An injured fire service personnel being taken to hospital for treatment after a police action during a protest by the Joint Movement Committee (JMC) against the resettlement of displaced Bru migrants in Kanchanpur sub-division, at Panisagar in North Tripura district, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020.
At least one died and five others suffered injuries as police opened fire on an agitating mob in Tripura on Saturday, according to news agency IANS. The protesters, observing a shutdown, were holding a protest that had been on for the past six days in northern Tripura to oppose the government's decision to rehabilitate thousands of tribal refugees. These refugees had fled to adjoining Mizoram 23 years ago following ethnic strife in the state.
The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Srikanta Das. Police said five others were seriously injured as cops had to open fire on the agitating mob that subsequently attacked the security forces at Panisagar in North Tripura district.
"Huge contingent of security forces including Tripura State Rifles troopers led by senior police officials were mobilised in Panisagar and Kanchanpur sub-divisions (in North Tripura District) to deal with the explosive situation," a police official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
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Meanwhile, the situation remained explosive in Tripura's Kanchanpur sub-division for the sixth day. The Joint Movement Committee had called shutdown for an indefinite period to protest the Tripura and Central governments' decision to rehabilitate around 35,000 Reang tribal refugees, who had fled to adjoining Mizoram in October 1997 following the ethnic conflict.
The agitations since Thursday extended in the nearby sub-divisions and districts as the state administrations did not take any steps to quell the situations and hold any talks with the protesters.
According to police, the situation in the mixed populated sub-division further deteriorated after a few tribal refugees attacked a non-tribal pump operator, 36 houses of non-tribals on Tuesday evening forcing over 110 people to flee to safer places.
Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer Bikramjit Sukladas said that the government offices, markets, shops and business establishments remained closed while all types of vehicles, except those of the security forces, health services and the media, remained off the roads.
Kanchanpur's Sub-Divisional Magistrate Chandni Chandran told IANS that the government is yet to finalise the locations and number of refugee family members to be rehabilitated in her sub-division, adjoining Mizoram.
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