Road and rail traffic across large parts of Tripura remained badly hit for a second straight day on Saturday, as a 72-hour shutdown called by a body representing surrendered militants showed no sign of easing. The agitation has choked the state's main highway link with the rest of the country and forced the railways to cancel, curtail or reschedule a string of trains.
Blockade Points Across West Tripura
A senior police official said hundreds of former militants, operating under the banner of the All Returnees' Rehabilitation Committee, have set up blockade points at three separate locations in West Tripura district: Hataikotor, Brigudasbari and Khowai Chowmuhani. Even as the disruption to road and rail traffic has been considerable, police said the demonstration has remained peaceful through its first two days.
Tripura's Main Highway Link Cut Off
The blockade at Hataikotor has hit the Assam-Agartala national highway the hardest, the route that serves as Tripura's principal road connection with the rest of the country. With this corridor effectively shut, the northeastern state has, for the duration of the protest, been cut off from the mainland through its main road artery.
Trains Cancelled After Tracks Occupied
At Brigudasbari, protesters moved directly onto the railway tracks, halting train movement through the state. The Northeast Frontier Railway subsequently said, in an official release, that it had short-terminated, cancelled or rescheduled a number of services, including several long-distance trains, while the tracks remain occupied.
A Charter Rooted in a 2024 Peace Accord
The All Returnees' Rehabilitation Committee represents members of seven surrendered militant outfits and launched the 72-hour agitation on Friday. Its overarching demand is the full implementation of an 11-point charter, and at the centre of that charter sits a tripartite peace accord signed in 2024, under which the militants had laid down their arms in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Saha. Among the other key demands listed in the charter are land rights for indigenous communities and the withdrawal of all pending criminal cases registered against the surrendered militants.
Administration Holds Talks at Hataikotor
West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar said officials held discussions with former rebel leaders at Hataikotor on Friday to work through the outstanding points of the peace accord. Some of the demands raised, he said, were ones the government was ready to act on, adding, "The government is committed to implementing the accord in a time-bound manner." Kumar said the former militant leaders had agreed to carry the government's proposals back to their cadres and would convey a response to the administration at the earliest.
With the 72-hour window still running, road and rail users across Tripura are left watching whether the Friday talks translate into a resolution before normal traffic can return to the state's highways and railway lines.
