Tension prevails over Bengalis in Tripura, Reangs spat

A Correspondent

Agartala: A tense situation is prevailing in Kanchanpur sub-division bordering Mizoram over allegations and counter-allegations among the local Bengali residents and the Reang refugees.

The tension started on December 10 when a group of refugees attacked nearby Bengali villages rendering a few hundred homeless. This forced the local Bengalis to launch an agitation demanding compensation for the damage, full security, etc. The Mizo’s nearby villages also joined the Bengalis as several Mizo villages also were attacked by the Reang refugees.

The tense situation took a new turn when six Reang organizations met the Sub-divisional Magistrate of Kanchanpur Chandni Chandran and submitted a memorandum denying the charge that the Reang refugees were involved in the attacks on Bengali villages around Ananda Bazar. They cited the FIR filed by the police where not a single refugee had been named for the violence.

Moreover, the memorandum accused the local Bengalis of harnessing the Reang refugees, attacking killing, rapping the Reang refugees on various occasions during their 23-year stay at Kanchanpur. The memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of Tripura also demanded deployment of Central paramilitary forces to ensure their security.

As soon as the report came, the leaders of the Nagarik Suraksha Manch reacted sharply alleging that it is an attempt to hide their criminal activities. Ranjit Kumar Nath, president of the manch said the allegations brought by the Reang refugee leaders are totally baseless and even threatened to take legal action.

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