APCR highlights the failure of the authorities to prevent the violence despite the presence of police and the imposition of curfews and internet shutdowns
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Over 70 prominent civil society members including civil rights activists, academicians and administrators have written an open letter to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha demanding action against targeted violence in Kadamtala in the north of the state where the mobs have been threatening Muslim residents and local businessmen through constant targeted communal attacks.
The letter sent on Saturday, under the aegis of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), sought the chief minister’s urgent intervention “to ensure the safety and security of all residents and to restore peace in the region”.
Addressing the chief minister on behalf of “all the concerned Indian citizens”, the activists said that the communal violence has left the Muslim community in “fear” and their work, life and institutions are at risk.
“We urge your immediate and decisive intervention to ensure the safety and security of all residents and to restore peace in the region. We demand that the state government take urgent actions for ending this targeted violence, ensuring rehabilitation and compensation for the survivors and restoring the internet in the affected areas,” the letter said.
Simultaneously, APCR has taken the matter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), urging accountability and action against the perpetrators of the mob violence that began on 6 October.
On Thursday, the APCR team held a meeting with the Registrar (Law) of the NHRC to raise concerns regarding the mob violence, arson, looting, and killing of a Muslim man, Alfesani. Citing case number 35/23/2/2024, APCR expressed concerns over the inadequacy of the investigation conducted so far and the continued threat to the Muslim community in Kadamtala.
Alfesani was shot and killed during these clashes, although it remains unclear whether police or other forces were responsible for his death, the presser from APCR stated.
APCR highlighted the failure of the authorities to prevent the violence despite the presence of police and the imposition of curfews and internet shutdowns. The demands presented to the NHRC include a spot inquiry by the commission to investigate the incidents, an immediate notice to the Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate (DM) of Tripura, demanding an explanation for the violence despite police presence and prohibitory orders and compensation for victims.
The violence, which targeted Muslim residents, saw homes, businesses, and religious institutions attacked, leaving the community in a state of fear and distress. According to reports, the violence escalated following a confrontation over a Durga Puja donation, triggering widespread unrest in Kadamtala.
Despite the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the presence of police forces, the legal aid group claims that the violence continued, with mobs looting, burning mosques, and vandalising properties, particularly targeting the Kadamtala Bazaar Masjid. Muslim residents allege that some of the attackers were brought in from outside the area.
The letter called for immediate steps to ensure the safety of the affected communities, compensation for victims, and the rebuilding of vandalised properties, including mosques. It urged the chief minister to launch an investigation into the negligence or complicity of local police in allowing the violence to continue despite curfews and prohibitory orders.
