Bengali refugees of Kanchanpur hold a rally, demand rehabilitation

A Correspondent

Agartala: Few thousands of Bengalis who were evicted from their ancestral home in Lanxmipur and 12 other villages adjoining Kanchanpur in North Tripura district after the arrival of Reang refugees from Mizoram 23-years ago are now demanding proper rehabilitation.

A rally was organized under the banner of Kanchanpur Nagarik Suraksha Manch demanding a similar rehabilitation package that was offered to the Reang refugees. The procession from Barahaldi to Dasda drew huge crowds as apart from the refugees, many others from Kanchanpur and adjoining areas attended the rally.

Ranjit Kumar Nath, president of the manch, addressing the rally, said it is good that the government has declared a rehabilitation package for the Reang refugees. But why the people who got evicted to accommodate the Renag refugees are deprived. He urged the people to protest against this discriminatory act of the government.

The situation in Kanchanpur remained volatile since the attack on several Bengali villages by the Reang refugees on December 10 in the name of anti-CAA agitation.

It was further ventilated after the government's decision to rehabilitate the Reang refugees in Tripura.

Local Bengalis fear that these Reangs may be rehabilitated in Kanchanpur which will tilt the balance of population in the area. The Mizo’s residing in Jampui Hills, Sakhan and Sermoon also suffered a similar predicament as many of them also were evicted after the arrival of Reang refugees and they also handed support to the agitation of the Nagarik Suraksha Manch.

Diptanu Nath, secretary of the manch alleged that an attempt is going on to blame their agitation politically motivated and raising the question of why they remained silent during the 25-year rule of CPI(M). He said the people changed the Left Front government as they were not doing anything and expected that the new government will solve their problem.

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