Tripura TMC writes to Human Right Commission on police atrocities against the unemployed youth

The President of Tripura Pradesh Trinamool Congress Pijush Kanti Biswas has written a letter to the chairman of the Tripura Human Rights Commission concerning human rights violations in Tripura owed to police atrocities.

In the letter, Biswas said, “I am writing to draw your attention to a grave violation of human rights in the city of Agartala in Tripura which calls for your intervention. The government that came to power in the state on the basis of a plethora of commitments in 2018 had given big promises on jobs. The government's failure to act on their promise for jobs has created tremendous pressure on the unemployed youth.”

Citing an example of the recent lathi charge of police on those who sat for the exam of Selection Test for Graduate Teachers (STGT), Biswas claimed, “The validity of the exam and the process of recruitment should ideally be completed within about six months out of which almost four months is 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”.

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The letter further reads that on 12th December they protested by gathering peacefully outside the home of Education Minister Rathan Lal Nath, demanding employment for STGT candidates who were unarmed and at best they shouted slogans.

“The Tripura police ordered a lathi-charged on the peaceful protesters and started to beat them mercilessly. As many as 40 people needed medical attention or hospitalization and 4 were critically injured. This has been extensively covered by the media. Several videos are in the public domain. It has also come to light that among those injured was a pregnant woman. Eyewitnesses allege that the police did not show any mercy. 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”, Biswas wrote.

He also termed the behaviour of the Tripura Police as “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. Sir, 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".

He said the actions of the Tripura Police against the unemployed youth in these instances are appalling and illegal. 

“In light of the seriousness of the situation, I urge you to take up this matter for investigation and those responsible for justice” the latter added.