Agartala, Nov 18 (TIWN) Normal life was crippled in northern Tripura's Kanchanpur sub-division for the 3rd day on Wednesday wih tensions running high. This follows the Joint Movement Committee called shutdown for an indefinite period to protest the government's decision to rehabilitate thousands of tribal refugees, who had fled to adjoining Mizoram 23 years ago following ethnic strife in the state.

According to police, the situation in the mixed populated sub-division further deteriorated after a few tribal refugees attacked the 36 houses of non-tribals on Tuesday evening forcing over 110 people to flee to safer places. The affected people have informed officials that four cows and several goats were taken away by the attackers.

North Tripura district Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty said that a large contingent of security forces comprising the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) has been deployed to deal with the situation.

“There is tension in different places in Kanchanpur but the situation is under control,” the district police chief told IANS over phone.

Defying prohibitory orders under Sec 144 CrPc, around 12,000 to 15,000 bandh supporters, including women and children organised protest rallies and demonstrations in front of the government offices and markets.

According to Sub-Divisional Police Officer Bikramjit Sukladas, there was no untoward incident following the indefinite shutdown which began at 6 a.m. on Monday, called by the Joint Movement Committee, comprising tribal and non-tribal leaders.

“Government offices, markets, shops and business establishments remained closed while all types of vehicles, except those of the security forces, health services and the media, remained off the roads,” Sukladas told IANS over the phone from Kanchanpur.

JMC Convener Sushanta Bikash Barua said that they had earlier welcomed the state government’s decision to rehabilitate a small number of the tribal refugees in Kanchanpur.

He said: “Considering the area and demography of the Kanchanpur sub-division, we had urged the government, on a number of occasions, to rehabilitate not more than 500 refugee families here, but the government unilaterally initiated the process to settle 5,000 tribal families in the area.”