Translated from Kok Borok by Hamari Jamatia. You can read the Kok Borok version here.
The demand for justice grows loud in Tripura over the alleged lynching of Fire service official Biswajit Debbarma (aged 26) in Panisagar area in North Tripura. On November 21, 2020, Debbarma, who used to worked at the Fire Service Department of Damsara, took leave to go home to his wife and daughter who lived in a town called Nepaltilla. His daughter, studying in nursery school, had fallen sick and Biswajit wanted to be by her side.
On his way, his bike was allegedly stopped by a mob of protesters who were protesting the Bru Resettlement pact. Biswajit was attacked by lathis from all sides. He later died of his injuries at a hospital in Agartala, the capital city. A video recording was made of his alleged lynching which was widely circulated. Chief Minister Biplab Deb has urged people to stop circulating images as it could cause further violence.
According to his senior at Damsura Fire Service Department, Biswajit Debbarma had joined the Fire Service in early 2017. Since then, he had worked diligently to save lives and property from fire. His supervisor, Sub Officer Mohan Singh Jamatia said that Biswajit was a disciplined worker who never shied away from his duty.
Over the last four years, he had saved lives innumerable times. “From the time he joined the Fire Service, Biswajit Debbarma was with me. He was a very decent man who took his job seriously,” he said, Mohan Singh adds that one of Biswajit’s dreams was to build his own house where he could live together with his wife, daughter and mother. He had just purchased some land nearby so he could realise this dream.
A day after Biswajit died, the Fire Service Department of Tripura paid him tribute and transported his body to his village where aggrieved neighbors and youth tried to stop the cavalcade. Things got violent as protesters broke the windows of the car carrying the body. However, no one was hurt and the body received the last rites.
Since the day of the alleged lynching, many Tripuri tribal groups and organisations have been demanding justice for the victim. Candlelight vigils and rallies were held in areas such as Madob Bari, Khumulung and Champak Nagar.
On November 24 and 25, two big rallies were carried out. The first rally was organised by the INPT (Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra), whereas the second rally was organised by Tripura People’s Front (TPF). Based on the video of the alleged lynching, the groups have demanded that the culprits should be immediately arrested and punished.
Background Of The Incident
Biswajit fell victim to the unrest that took place over the resettlement of 37,000 Bru people. Historically, the Bru people were jhum cultivators who shift from one location to another for farming purposes. These 37,000 people had been doing jhum cultivation in Mizoram for the past many decades.
However, the state did not give them land to settle down on. They, therefore, returned to Tripura in 1997 in search of permanent settlement. In January this year, an agreement was signed between the Tripura government, Mizoram government, the Central government and the Bru representatives to settle them at various parts of Tripura.
This development led to the creation of a group called Nagarik Suraksha Mancha that opposed the resettlement. Along with other dissenting groups such as the Mizo Convention, they formed the Joint Movement Committee (JMC) and announced that not more than 1,500 Bru families would be allowed to settle in a particular area called Kanchanpur. They believe that resettlement of Brus will cause undue pressure on the resources of the state.
On November 21, 2020, the group had organised a protest at Panisagar National Highway where the situation became violent. In the tussle between the police and the protesters, one person was killed in police firing and many people on both sides were injured. It was in the aftermath of this tussle that Biswajit Debbarma got caught by a mob and allegedly beaten to death. It has been reported that 23 people, including 15 police personnel, were injured.
Candle Vigil And Demand For Justice
The killing of Biswajit Debbarma led to candlelight vigils in many parts of the state. On November 24, Animesh Debbarma of INPT at a vigil demanded that appropriate action be taken against the mob that attacked Biswajit. He also questioned the demands of the JMC that chiefly comprises of Bengali groups. He said, “The Bru people are native to Tripura. They have every right to settle down here.”
On November 25, the TPF carried out a rally with demands for justice and adequate compensation for the family.
Pradyot Kishore Manikya, the scion of the Tripura Royal Family, has said that considering how Tripura had welcomed Bengali refugees from Bangladesh since India’s Independence, the Bengalis should also welcome the Bru people who are original residents of Tripura. He has also demanded action against those who attacked Biswajit and whose faces are clearly visible in the video of the incident.
Note: This article is created as a part of the Adivasi Awaaz project, with the support of Misereor and Prayog Samaj Sevi Sanstha.