A 12 hour bandh is being observed today in the areas at the call of the CPI(M) Sadar divisional committee. Vehemently condemning this dastardly extremist carnage of innocent people, the CPI(M) state secretariat has given a call to all the units of the party to organise protest rallies all over the state tomorrow to articulate the people’s denouncement of this genocide and demand for adequate central security forces to combat the dastardly ‘hit-and-run’ strategy of the extremists. The party reiterates once again its demand for adequate central security forces long withheld from the state by the Vajpayee-led central government boosting extremist violence and encouraging riot-mongers in Tripura hemmed in by long international borders.

To register a strong protest against one of the most ghastly incidents carried out by the extremist last evening and the centre’s indifferent attitude towards frantic calls of the state of Tripura for rushing adequate security forces for firmly tackling with the extremist, the Tripura Left Front committee has called a 12 hours Tripura bandh from dawn to dusk tomorrow.

Eye witness account says that, capitalizing on the absence of any security forces in the market, the extremist carried out the attack in two phases. After the initial brushfire, the extremists left the place blowing whistle, only to reappear a few minutes later when people came out from their shelters to attend to the dead and injured. In this second phase, the extremists both killed people and looted money and materials from the shops. Even before injured were brought to hospital some Congress and Trinamul Congress leaders tried to incite and anxious and anguished people gathered there, but their ill-intention was foiled by the sensible section of the crowd.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep shock and outrage at the massacre perpetrated by extremists at Panchabati in the Sadar sub division of West Tripura. 18 people including two women have been killed and 11 others injured in this brutal attack on a weekly market by ATTF extremists. This is the latest atrocity perpetrated by extremist groups designed to create communal strife and strike terror.

For the past few months the attacks by the extremist groups like the NLFT and the ATTF have been increasing. They have been emboldened by the withdrawal of the army and the paramilitary forces which were earlier stationed in the state. The Central government which took this step has not responded to the repeated requests of the state government to deploy adequate security forces. Such a callous and irresponsible attitude is contributing to the worsening of the situation in Tripura. The extremist activities in Tripura cannot be curbed by the state government and its forces alone, as the extremists take shelter across the international borders which surround Tripura on three sides.

The defence of national unity and the protection of the lives of ordinary people in the state demand that the Vajpayee government immediately re-deploy the army battalions which have been withdrawn from the state and meet the request of the state government for adequate paramilitary forces. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) appeals to all democratic forces to realise the gravity of the situation in Tripura and demand that the Centre take immediate steps.

Driven to despair and desperation by the increasing number of hardcore extremists having been brought to book over the last few days through cooperation of the police and people, the NLFT hit squads have escalated their attacks on Left and democratic leaders and activists irrespective of young and old. The attacks also significantly coincide with the anti-Left Front opposition parties 12 hour Tripura bandh call for November 12 to press for president’s rule as a panacea for insurgency.

On November 10, at about 9 p.m., an NLFT hit squad raided the house of Manoranjan Debbarma, an activist of the DYFI-affiliated Tribal Youth Federation, at Ragia Sardar Para near Mandai, West Tripura. The extremists lifted him from his supper, dragged him to a corn field and shot him dead. At about 6 p.m. on the same day, a gang of 15-16 heavily armed NLFT extremists stormed the house of Maksirai Debbarma, an aged and ailing CPI(M) and Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP) leader at Yakrai Para under Kalyanpur police station of Khowai sub-division, West Tripura, and ruthlessly roughed him with wooden rod, grievously injuring him. While belabouring him with the rod the extremists charged him with having called the police to bring down the black flag hoisted by the NLFT atop the local panchayat office. The extremists also threatened him with death in case he kept opposing their activities.

Another veteran CPI(M) and GMP leader, Upendra Debbarma was grievously injured in militant manhandling, following the storming of his house by NLFT extremists on November 10 night at Sarbangkasi Kobra Para of Kalyanpur area.

The people of Tripura shrugged off the anti-people bandh call given by the anti-Left Front opposition parties that drowned their differences in their overriding concern of destabilising the Left Front government of the state in a bid to avert their political wilderness under democratic ground rules. Without using a single word to demand adequate central security forces for counter insurgency operations in the state, the Congress, Trinamul Congress, BJP and TUJS called a 12 hour Tripura bandh on November 12 , demanding dismissal of the Left Front government which had received a massive mandate in the elections, and promulgation of the President’s rule in Tripura to curb militancy.