Former militants from the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force started a 72-hour statewide shutdown on Friday morning. The protest involves blocking road and rail routes, including the strategic highway connecting Assam to Agartala and a rail junction in West Tripura district, which has disrupted train services, cut off traffic, and caused supply shortages for residents.
The shutdown was launched to press the government over unmet promises from a tripartite peace agreement signed exactly two years earlier by the Centre, the Tripura government, and the two insurgent outfits. The returnee groups have eleven demands, including the full implementation of the pact, protection for surrendered leaders and cadres, the formal inclusion of a promised cadre list, and safeguards for Tiprasa land and tribal administration.
Additional grievances focus on cultural and linguistic issues, such as adopting the Roman script for Kokborok, establishing a unified customary law, restoring older village names, and transferring land powers to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. The 72-hour bandh will lift after three days unless it is called off earlier through negotiations.