Hundreds of supporters of Left farmer trade union were courted arrest in Tripura after a ‘civil disobedience’ agitation held at eleven places against the Central Government’s alleged attack on peasants and workers.
In the capital, Agartala, Ex-Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who at present is the Opposition Leader along with other senior CPI(M) leaders including MP Sankar Prashad Das, former Deputy Speaker Pabitra Kar and Ex-MLA Manik Dey led the movement which was organised by the Kishan Mazdoor Joint Forum.
Kar said, “This ‘Jail Bharo‘ agitation is going on throughout the country as during the four years tenure of Modi Government, there have been more than 40,000 farmer suicide cases throughout the nation as they did not get the actual price of their produces and workers are not getting their salaries.”
He said that agitation was organised in 450 districts in the country.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), as part of its nationwide ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation, organised demonstrations at eleven places in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Tripura.
The agitating leaders alleged that for the past five months in Tripura the lives and livelihoods of the common people are at stake as there is no minimum number of jobs for the poor people under MGNREGA and there is no democracy also under the new BJP-IPFT Government.
They urged the BJP-led Government to restore peace and democratic environment in Tripura.
Police had to use water cannon and fire tear gas to disperse the agitators.
Former Tripura CM Sarkar while addressing the gathering here said, “If the Modi Government is not removed then the farmers, farm workers, labourers, minority, poor class, and small businessman, no one will survive. So, everyone in the Opposition has to get united and be prepared for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.”
Meantime, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Suman Majumder said that the gathering did not have any permission and so, it was stopped and dispersed by using water cannon and tear gas. However, he denied any baton charge by the police.