Agartala, December 14, 2022: A delegation of the Tripura Pradesh Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of the Tripura Human Rights Commission concerning over human rights violation in Tripura owing to the police atrocities upon the qualified STGT job aspirants here in Agartala city.
The delegation include – AITC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, party’s state president and senior advocate Pijush Kanti Biswas and others.
The Pradesh Trinamool Congress president Biswas drew attention to a grave violation of human rights in the city of Agartala in Tripura which calls for the intervention of THRC.
“The government failed to fulfill the promises of recruiting unemployed youths and one such category are those who sat for the exam of Selection Test for Graduate Teachers (STGT). The validity of the exam and the process of recruitment should ideally be completed within about six months out of which almost four months are over and in another two months the exam will be of no use. In these circumstances the helpless people resorted to demanding their right to be recruited by reaching out to the Education Minister of the State”, he added.
“On December 12 last, they protested by gathering peacefully outside the home of Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath, demanding employment for STGT candidates. They were in a small group, it was not like a mob. They were unarmed and at best they shouted slogans.”
“The Tripura police ordered a lathi-charge on the peaceful protesters and started to beat them mercilessly. As many as 40 people needed medical attention or hospitalisation and 4 were critically injured. It has also come to light that among those injured was a pregnant woman. Those who were injured also had to pay for the X-Rays and other medical expenses. No help was provided by the police to transport the injured to the hospital for medical aid”, the two pages memorandum reads.
Biswas claimed that the behaviour by the Tripura Police in this situation is atrocious. Lathi-charging and injuring peaceful protesters is a blatant show of excessive force, and is completely unwarranted. The clash with the Tripura Police has led to a serious human rights violation as peaceful protesters were beaten mercilessly, injured and left to fend for themselves against a much stronger police force.
He also pointed out that in the past there was severe action that has been taken by the police against the 10323 teachers who have been protesting for a long period for resolution of their recruitment. Several videos of the police atrocities where they were dispersed with the merciless use of water cannon etc are in the public domain.
TMC state president stated, “It is the right of people under Article 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of our Constitution to protest peacefully. This right is also enshrined under Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Further, Section 130 of the Code of Criminal Procedure directs police personnel to “use as little force, and do as little injury to person and property”.
The statement further added “The actions of the Tripura Police against the unemployed youth in these instances are appalling and illegal. These situations have become the new normal and to ignore these situations will further normalise such disproportionate use of police powers.”
Drawing light of the seriousness of the situation, TMC state president urged the chairman of THRC to take up this matter for investigation immediately and bring those responsible to justice.
