Commul tension near Reang refugee camps, forces deployed

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

Agartala, May 22: Tension is running high in Kanchanpur area as the local administration is on its toes over the fear of repetition of last year’s Kaskiram Para incident when a group of Reang refugees burnt down the entire village provoking a commul tension.

Despite presence of all ingredients, untoward incidents could be prevented, so far, due to timely intervention of the local police and civil administration. The police head quarter also took all necessary steps and senior officials including the Director General of police rushed to the area. The local administration is organizing a peace meeting on May 23 to restore normalcy in the area.

All begun with an incident of minor theft on Saturday when the villagers caught one Balaram Reang (25) while he was stealing a hen from the house of one Adi Pal of Laxmipur, close to the Gachiram para refugee camp under Kanchanpur police station in North Tripura district.  The youth was severely beaten by the villagers before being released. The situation took a turn for the worst when Balaram’s condition deteriorated after he returned to Gachiram para camp. A group of Refugees came out of the camp and rushed towards Laxmipur but could not reach. Receiving the information police intervened and forced them to return to their camp. Official sources said Balaram was shifted to local hospital and later taken to Kolkata for better treatment as his condition is stated to be critical.  Following the incident additiol forces has been deployed in the area and almost encircled all the six camps where over 32,000 Reang refugees came from Mizoram are residing for last two decades.  Several initiatives have been taken by the central government to repatriate them to their ancestral home but to no avail. Their long presence in the area is causing various social and economic problem.