Tripura surrendered militants withdraw rail-road blockade after talks with government

The Tripura Guerrilla Returnees' Demand Committee (TGRDC), a platform representing surrendered militants in the state, has withdrawn its proposed rail-road blockade following assurances from the state government regarding their rehabilitation and livelihood concerns.

The blockade had been scheduled for June 5 to press a five-point charter of demands, including proper rehabilitation of former militants. The protest was to coincide with the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Agartala.

According to officials, the decision to call off the agitation was taken after a meeting chaired by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma with representatives of the TGRDC.

Director of the Tribal Welfare Department Subhasish Das said the meeting involved detailed discussions on the demands raised by the surrendered militants, following which the government assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

"After the discussions, the TGRDC agreed to withdraw the rail-road blockade scheduled for June 5," Das said.

One of the key issues discussed during the meeting was the rehabilitation of surrendered militants through the Chief Minister's Rubber Mission, a livelihood generation programme aimed at providing sustainable income opportunities.

Officials said the Rubber Board had initially approved rubber plantations covering 30,000 hectares in Tripura, which was later expanded to 69,000 hectares. However, funding has not been proportionately increased to support the expanded area.

The state government has approached the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) seeking additional financial assistance to implement the project fully, officials said.

Das further informed that a follow-up meeting involving various departments and representatives of the surrendered militants will be held on June 9 to explore long-term solutions to their livelihood and rehabilitation concerns.

The development is expected to avert disruption to transportation services in the state during the Union Home Minister's visit and marks a step towards addressing the long-pending demands of surrendered militants.