Agartala, Dec. 28: Militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have warned Jamatya tribals of serious consequences if they do not pay taxes this year. They have also threatened to attack non-tribal settlements located close to the Jamatya-inhabited areas.
The militants had failed to extort any “tax” from the Hindu Jamatyas over the past two years in the face of organised resistance by Jamatya Hoda, the supreme community council. The Jamatyas had launched a resistance programme against the NLFT militants and their conversion drive in early 2000 under the leadership of the then Hoda Okra (head priest and community leader) Bikram Bahadur Jamatya, and Okra Haricharan Jamatya.
In the just-concluded 412th state conference of the Jamatya Hoda, Aswathama Jamatya and Chintamohan Jamatya were elected new Okras and the militants are trying to take advantage of this change in leadership.
Police sources said according to a complaint received by the Amarpur police, NLFT rebels had stormed the Jamatya-dominated Bandarghat village under Amarpur subdivision on December 24 and warned them of serious consequences if they continued to resist paying “tax”. The militants also stormed the house of newly-elected Hoda Okra Chintamohan Jamatya and warned his relatives in his absence that there would be bloodshed unless the Okra asked the Jamatya tribesmen to pay “tax” to the NLFT.
Sources close to Jamatya Hoda said they would review the matter at an emergency meeting, but would not budge an inch from opposing the activities of the militants. Official sources here said security would be beefed up.