People's Democracy

TRIPURA

In A Pre-Planned Political Killing,

Extremists Gun Down CPI(M) Leader

Haripada Das

CPI(M) leaders and workers paying homage to Comrade Chandra Mohan Debbarma

SETTING out an ominous indication that outlawed extremist outfits, though at present suffering from shrinkage both in respect of manpower and arsenals, will leave no stone unturned to save their political patrons from abysmal defeat in the ensuing Tripura assembly elections, extremists belonging to NLFT(BM) gunned down Chandra Mohan Debbarma, a CPI(M) and Ganamukti Parishad leader on December 31, 2007.

Comrade Chandra Mohan Debbarma, (63), CPI(M) Khowai divisional committee member and central committee member of Tripura Rajya Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (GMP), had to leave his ancestral house at Naksirai Para of North Maharanipur village of Khowai Sub-Division, West Tripura, due to extremist threat in 1999. Since then he had been living in nearby mixed populated village at South Maharanipur village close to the Party local committee office, which ultimately became his regular address. Being unable to stay at home, a small peasant himself, Chandra Mohan Debbarma let his land to the sharecroppers.  At dawn on the last day of the year 2007, he left for his old house to receive his share of crop harvested by the sharecroppers. Near to his house there lies a tea-stall where he preferred to take a cup of tea with his neighbours whom he met after a long gap. At that time two uniformed NLFT(BM) gunmen with some other accomplices in civil dress appeared in front of the stall and asked others to come out. With no delay they caught hold of Chandra Mohan Debbarma and dragged him out of the stall and sprayed bullets on his body from an automatic gun at close range. He fell down and died on the spot. Then the assassins ran away into the nearby jungle.

Hearing the news of his murder, hundreds of saddened Party leaders, workers and supporters gathered at Teliamura where the body of the departed leader was laid to rest after post mortem. Mortal remains of Chandra Mohan Debbarma was brought to the Teliamura local committee office. Bijan Dhar and Aghore Debbarma, both central committee members of the Party who happened to be there in a pre-scheduled programme, draped Red flag on his body and paid floral tributes to the martyr. Biswajit Datta, Khowai district committee secretary, Samir Deb Sarkar, Ranabahadur Debbarma, Khagendra Jamatia, Jitendra Sarkar all state committee members,  Manindra Das, DC member and hundreds of Party workers offered their last salute of the martyr leader. After a brief halt at Teliamura his body was carried to his native village. In the presence of Party leaders and hundreds of Party workers and supporters, Comrade Chandra Mohan Debbarma was consigned to flames near his house.

PROTESTS HELD

On the same day, protest demonstrations were held in all places of the sub-division  condemning the incident and exposing the political parties who patronise this dirty and bloody game of violence for narrow electoral gains. A 24-hour bandh in Maharanipur local area was held on January 1, 2008 in protest against this ghastly killing. The bandh was called by the CPI(M) Khowai DC. The bandh was spontaneous, total and peaceful.

Comrade Chandra Mohan Debbarma attained Party membership in the year 1978. In 1979, he successfully discharged duties as head ‘Sarpanch’ in the village. During the turbulent days of 1980 ethnic riots, he played the role of a heroic soldier of peace in the area. He was elected Pradhan of North Maharanipur village in 1984. Next year in 1985, he was elected as secretary of Party Maharanipur LC as well as member of Khowai DC and continued till his death. During the Congress-TUJS jungle rule (1988-93), he had to leave his house due to the threat perception raised by the goons of the alliance. Again in 1999, he was driven out of his house and this time with all his family members.

SEQUEL TO A SECRET DEAL

The CPI(M) Tripura  state secretariat in a statement strongly condemned the killing. It described Comrade Chandra Mohan Debbarma as a vanguard leader in the struggle for maintenance of peace and harmony, an able organiser and a true friend of the poor. He played an outstanding role in organising the people against the extremists and mobilising them in the struggle for development. He became an eyesore of the Congress-INPT alliance, which, according to media, came to a secret deal with the extremists to the effect that the extremist outfits would work in favour of the alliance in the ensuing elections. Evidently, the statement reads, the murder of Chandra Mohan Debbarma was a pre-planned political killing and a sequel to that dubious deal.

The CPI(M) has lost about 1800 comrades during the last two and a half decades since 1978 at the hands of the extremists and the vested interests patronising them. Still its growth could not be resisted; rather such inhuman attacks will expose the nexus of the already discredited opposition parties, the statement said. The secretariat expressed heartfelt sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and urged upon the Party leaders, workers and supporters to crush this anti-people alliance by mobilising the forces of peace, democracy and development. The Party also alerted the workers to keep the people alert about any subversive attempt of the enemies of the people.

GMP central committee also strongly condemned the killing and conveyed sympathy to the family members of the deceased.