Inspite of rain, people turned out to in large numbers to participate in the 60th Independence Day celebration in Tripura, defying a militants boycott call on Wednesday.
By Pinaki Das
Agartala, Aug.15 : Inspite of rain, people turned out to in large numbers to participate in the 60th Independence Day celebration in Tripura, defying a militants boycott call on Wednesday.
The main programme was organized in the Assam Rifles parade ground in Agartala where Chief Minister Manik Sarkar unfurled the Tricolour.
Different paramilitary forces, state police and NCC cadets participated in the parade.
Four rebel groups, including the outlawed All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), United Liberation Front of AsomULFA) and Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), had called a six-hour general strike that began at 6 a.m. Wednesday to boycott the 60th Independence Day of India.
Overall the celebration was peaceful except an incident of bullet injury of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in an ambush by suspected militants of National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) in Ganganagar of remote Dhalai District today morning at around 7.25 AM.
The injured trooper Chandrajit Yadav (35) of Bihar, a member of 133 CRPF was in serious condition, and has been shifted to the Agartala Government Medical College.
The ambush is said to have taken place 165 kilometres from Tripura capital Agartala when the road opening party (ROP) was doing its normal duty.
On the occasion of India's Independence Day, Chief Minister Sarkar called on the Centre to convince the interim government in Bangladesh to take action against militants using Bangladeshi soil to carry out their rebel activities in north-east India.
Acknowledging that there was a drop in the number of Indian insurgent militant camps in Bangladesh (from 50 to 55 camps to 26-29 camps), he, however, demanded the dismantling of all such camps.
"The militants are depositing the money extorted from our people in Bangladesh banks, and with the interest, they are purchasing land and also doing business there. We have been asking the Indian Government to press Bangladesh Government to freeze the accounts of Tripura militants in their banks," said Sarkar.
ANI