The Facebook profile of TIPRA Motha leader, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, has become a platform for alarming threats and incendiary rhetoric targeting the Bengali community in Tripura. Known for his controversial statements, Pradyot Kishore’s recent actions have exacerbated tensions in the region.
The escalation began with Pradyot Kishore’s public display of a seemingly innocuous request from a Bengali individual named Nirmal Acharjee for unused lands in the ADC to the West Tripura District Magistrate. The letter to the DM was not specific and apparently lacked seriousness. It was from an individual, not any organization and by all means a ‘casual’ one–which raises questions regarding to authenticity of the applicant and the purpose. However, Pradyot Kishore , for reasons best knwon to him, swiftly ‘rejected the proposal’, emphasizing that no land would be allocated to non-Tribals in the 6th schedule areas, and urged settling people elsewhere in India.
This response hit the hornet’s nest and triggered a wave of hostility on social media, with comments on Pradyot Kishore’s post turning increasingly vitriolic. Ronald Debbarma, one of his followers, openly advocated for the massacre of Bengalis including women and children et al, threatening to spare no one.
Ronald Debbarma writes : “ Juto ke niche rehenge. We are still silent because we know you will lose many families and land. If initiated it will be worse than Manipur & will not spare a single Bengali whether girl baby or whatever. Mark our words”.
Then he writes ‘Bubagra, one thing remember supposed if TTAADC area’s are allocated to Bengalis then we will retaliate like manipur triple times then that (sic). Here also Pradyot Kishore remained silent. Neither any comment nor deletion of such statements was made.
Pradyot Kishore neither opposed such a statement in his own FB wall nor deleted it.
Then again one Abhiram Reang said, “ I’ m shocked. We will spill blood but enough (sic). To which Pradyot Kishore made a simple statement “ No violence”. But Ronald Debbarma comes here again and said, ‘it is the only one solution otherwise central government will never take us seriously”.
Shockingly, Pradyot Kishore remained silent in the face of such blatant incitement to violence, failing to condemn or address the dangerous rhetoric.
Pradyot Kishore’s tepid response, merely stating “No violence,” to only one Abhiram Reang lacked the urgency and conviction required to quell the rising tensions. In fact, it is being viewed as encouraging for those who seek to go offensive against the Bngalis.
The recent developments surrounding Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s Facebook wall have unearthed a troubling narrative of communal discord and potential violence in Tripura, painting a complex picture of simmering tensions and political machinations.
What ensued on his Facebook, the comments from his followers, notably Ronald Debbarma, veered into alarming territory, openly advocating for the massacre of Bengalis and threatening to turn Tripura into another Manipur. Despite the gravity of these statements, Pradyot Kishore remained conspicuously silent, failing to condemn or disavow such dangerous rhetoric.
The subsequent exchange of comments, including hints at violence as a viable solution from individuals like Ronald Debbarma, Abhiram Reang, underscored the palpable tension and volatility gripping Tripura’s political landscape. Against the backdrop of looming Lok Sabha elections, the timing of these inflammatory remarks raises concerns about their potential to stoke communal animosity and sow seeds of discord.
Leading English daily of Tripura , Tripura Times sought to delve a bit deeper . It reported : “All these ( violence against the Bengalis) are being openly propagated and Pradyot Kishore’s silence only acts as a support and encouragements for such blood thirst elements in his own followers. Since there is no official decision from the government yet to settle the Bengalis in TTAADC areas, the entire episode –right from the letter to the DM and its immediate publication in Pradyot Kishore’s personal FB wall reeks of a conspiracy to trigger violence and communal tension in Tripura before the Lok Sabha elections so that some leaders in the face of their obvious failures to achieve what was being assured to the indigenous people, can regain fast losing position. All the false promises given time and again fell flat on their face and indigenous people started seeing through and realising the true face. It thus seems the old tactics to make the water troubled and then fish happily
The real-world repercussions of this online vitriol were starkly evident in the demolition of 17 Bengali houses, a chilling manifestation of the deep-seated animosity and intolerance festering within certain segments of Tripura’s populace. Coupled with past instances of violence, such as the brutal murder of cab driver Jiban Debnath before the 2018 assembly elections, the situation paints a grim picture of impunity and lawlessness.
In the face of these escalating tensions, the onus falls squarely on the government and law enforcement agencies to uphold the rule of law, safeguard the rights of all citizens, and quell the rising tide of communalism. Failure to address the root causes of discontent and curb the spread of hate speech risks plunging Tripura into a vortex of sectarian strife, with far-reaching implications for its social fabric and democratic institutions.
