The fire in Tripura should be extinguished
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Elections are proverbially described as a celebration of democracy, but even then skirmishes during the campaign and tussle during vote-counting days is nothing new in the country. However, it is an alarming omen that the violence, which defies all decency and subverts all possibilities of democracy and elections, become routine. The sparks of hatred started flying in the northeastern state of Tripura, where elections were held on the 16th of last month. The violence that broke out after the results were announced on March 2 has not ended even after ten days. Opposition leaders alleged that the workers of the ruling BJP, during victory celebrations, had attempted to physically attack the CPM, CPI and Congress workers and set fire to houses, party offices and shops. Three people have already been killed. It is reported that more than 600 small and big cases of vandalism have been committed. Many leaders, including a former MLA, are in hospital with injuries. CPM State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhary points out that thousands of people, including women and children, have fled to forest areas and neighboring states to escape the attack. The full picture of the violence in the villages is yet to be revealed. But this is still not major news story for the national media who even earlier were not keen about sharing the events of the northeastern states with the outside world.
Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya did not even bother to meet the Left and Congress leaders of the state who sought audience with him to demand immediate intervention. Alleging that the government was not prepared to prevent the attacks, the opposition boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet. After coming to power in 2018, the BJP had indulged in violence against political opponents. At least 25 workers of opposition parties, especially left parties lost their lives. In the state where communal riots were not common, communal hatred spread and led to riots, but due to the utmost vigilance of the secular parties and the people, untoward incidents were prevented. The current trend of violent incidents makes it seem that the BJP is considering the continuation of the rule as a recognition of all its transgressions. Not only attacks on opposition party workers and demolition of their houses, but also destruction of their crops and livelihoods, including rubber trees, is rampant. In a video shared by the All India Kisan Sabha from Tripura's Khowai district on social media, bodies of cows were also seen burnt by the assailants. A fact that should not be lost sight of is that the foot soldiers of the same Sangh Parivar, who are lynching and burning Muslim-Dalit youths for keeping cow's meat and smuggling cows, are killing cows tied to the cow sheds of the opposition party workers on fire because of political enmity. But there is no sign of any of the cow protectors of the country, including the Union Ministers and judges, having issued a single line statement to find out who killed these dumb animals in fire or to take legal action against them.
The response of the Chief Minister Manik Saha is that a section of vested interests are fomenting trouble in the state. Although he issued a statement that the police have been directed to take strict action against those involved in the violence regardless of party affiliation, no one has been arrested yet; nor has there been any halt to the violence. A fact-finding team of Left-Congress MPs has reached Tripura. They have announced that the information will be compiled in detail and forwarded to the Governor and the seriousness of the issue will be raised in Parliament. It will be criminal negligence if the state government dithers in taking action to catch the culprits. Healthy political activity in the country will be possible only if such atrocities, which drain the spirit of democracy, are nipped in the bud.
