AGARTALA: Tripura Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman on Saturday urged surrendered former militants to avoid blocking railway tracks and national highways to press their demands, saying such protests disrupted the lives of ordinary people.
Reacting to the ongoing 72-hour rail and road blockade called by a forum of surrendered militants, Roy Barman suggested alternative forms of protest, including an indefinite hunger strike.
He said rehabilitation benefits for former militants should be provided on the basis of verified records, including the number of people who surrendered, weapons handed over and cases pending against them. He also questioned claims based on fictitious names or without supporting records.
“If thousands of names are registered for rehabilitation benefits, there must be a clear and transparent basis for selecting genuine beneficiaries,” Roy Barman said.
The MLA said the legitimate demands of those who had genuinely abandoned militancy and returned to normal life should be considered by the Centre and the state government. At the same time, he said claims without proper surrender and weapon-deposition records should not be accepted.
Roy Barman also questioned the administration’s response, alleging that effective intervention was not visible despite the presence of officials. He said the failure to properly implement the demands of surrendered militants was contributing to repeated blockades.
However, he maintained that railway tracks and national highways could not become accepted forms of protest as such blockades severely affected normal life, including the movement of critically ill patients and people with urgent work.
Roy Barman said the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police had held discussions with the protesters and there were expectations that the blockade would be withdrawn, but the agitation continued.
“If you want to protest, go on an indefinite hunger strike. Take the hardship upon yourselves physically, but do not make ordinary people suffer,” he said.
The 72-hour blockade, which entered its second day on Saturday, affected railway and vehicular movement in parts of Tripura as the former militants pressed for demands, including implementation of the rehabilitation and peace agreement.
