BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 29th January 2024: TIPRA Motha supporters at Mungiakami Bazar area blocked the national highway on Monday, demanding immediate delimitation of ‘patta’ recipients and protection from wild elephant attacks. The protest caused severe traffic disruption and inconvenience to the travelers.
‘Patta’ is a legal document that grants land rights to the holders. The villagers claimed that they have been waiting for the demarcation of the ‘patta’ recipients for a long time and that the administration has failed to fulfill its promise. They also said that they are facing constant threat from wild elephants that enter the village and destroy their houses and crops.
According to the villagers, the problem of wild elephant encroachment has worsened in the recent years due to the loss of habitat and food sources for the animals. They said that they have to endure the violence of wild elephants every day and that the forest department has not taken any effective measures to prevent the attacks or compensate the victims.
The villagers said that they were forced to resort to the road blockade as they had no other option to voice their grievances. They demanded that the administration should expedite the process of delimitation of ‘patta’ recipients and provide adequate security and compensation to the villagers affected by the elephant attacks.
As soon as the news of the protest reached the authorities, a large police force rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. The police officers tried to persuade the protesters to clear the road and assured them that their demands would be looked into. After a few hours of negotiation, the villagers agreed to lift the blockade and disperse peacefully.
