Tripura: 6 dead as Bru tribals continue with road blockade

Agartala: At least six persons died, while three are in hospital, after they fell down unconsciously due to starvation during the indefinite road blockade called by the Bru inmates living in the Kanchanpur sub-division of Tripura.

Speaking with EastMojo, general secretary of Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) Bruno Msha said the sub-divisional magistrate of Kanchanpur on Tuesday met with the agitators and announced that Section 144 has been imposed in the area and no agitation would be allowed to take place further.

“In honour of the state government’s decision, we have called off the road blockade considering the movement of local residents,” Msha said.

However, members of the relief camps have denied accepting the proposal and have said that they will continue the sit-in demonstration until the food supply in the relief camps is resumed.

“The people of the camps have opposed my decision and said that they will not withdraw the agitation from the spot. The people are angry and the women are not accepting the decision taken by us. So I am helpless since they have said that they will continue the agitation, come what may,” Msha added.

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Meanwhile, Kanchanpur sub-division magistrate Abhedananda Baidya said that Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the entire stretch starting from Dasda to Ananda Bazar via Naisingpara and two more relief camps and nobody would be allowed further to demonstrate or even gather in the area.

A police force of over thousand has been deployed in the area by the district administration on Tuesday so that no further agitation is allowed by the Bru inmates in Laxmipur village area.

On the other hand, former PCC president Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman said that he would visit the relief camps and interact with the people there on Thursday.

“I have already donated 1500 kilos of rice, dal and other relief materials for the people and more assistance would be given to them from my end. The people have been deprived of the right to food under Article 21 of the Indian constitution,” Deb Barman said.