CPIM Youth wings – DYFI and TYF – protest in Unakoti, Tripura on April 28, demanding action against drugs, job vacancies, and rising crime. Read more about their deputation to the District Magistrate.
Kailashahar, April 28, 2025 – Opposition CPIM’s youth wings in Tripura – Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Tribal Youth Federation (TYF) – organized a protest march and submitted a deputation to Unakoti District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma on Monday. The joint initiative by the Kailashahar and Kumarghat Sub-Divisional Committees highlighted three-point demands addressing rampant issues in Tripura. Despite heavy rainfall, hundreds of young men and women participated in the rally.
Protest Rally Defies Rain, Voices Demands
The protest rally began at Gournagar market, winding through the District Magistrate’s office premises and Gournagar block before culminating in a street meeting back at the market. Undeterred by torrential rain, the DYFI and TYF protest rally in Unakoti led by prominent youth leaders raised slogans against the state’s alleged deteriorating socio-economic conditions.
Key figures present included DYFI State Committee president Palash Bhowmik, TYF Central Committee president Kaushik Roy Debbarma, and youth leaders Basudeb Bhattacharya, Bishu Das, Surman Ali, Rahat Chowdhury, Jaydeb Pal, Mohan Debbarma, Hirendra Chowdhury, and Bhabani Debbarma.
CPIM Youth Wings Raise Three-point Demands
The deputation outlined three pressing issues:
- Crackdown on Illegal Drug Trade: Palash Bhowmik, addressing the street meeting, lambasted the BJP-led central and state governments for their failure to curb illegal drug trafficking. He alleged that while police occasionally seize narcotics, the main traffickers, often linked to the ruling party, evade arrest. Bhowmik demanded stringent action to dismantle these networks.
- Filling Government Vacancies: With over 50,000 vacant posts in state departments, the youth federations called for immediate recruitment. Bhowmik criticized the BJP for promising 50,000 annual jobs before the 2018 elections but delivering only 4,000 in seven years. He highlighted how unfilled posts are being abolished, leaving qualified youth, including doctors, unemployed.
- Restoring Law and Order: The federations condemned the alleged rising incidents of theft, robbery, smuggling, mafia activities, and violence against women and schoolgirls. Bhowmik accused the ruling party of shielding perpetrators, noting that police fail to apprehend masterminds behind murders, rapes, and clashes. The DYFI AND TYF leaders demanded robust measures to restore the rule of law.
Besides, local demands specific to Kailashahar and Kumarghat were raised.
A Call for Accountability
In his speech, Bhowmik accused the State government of neglecting critical issues, from healthcare shortages to ‘unchecked’ crime. He pointed out patients are dying due to a lack of doctors, while qualified medical professionals remain jobless. The youth leader also criticized the government’s unfulfilled promises, which have left Tripura’s youth disillusioned.
Heightened Security Amid Protest
The public rally and deputation prompted heavy security deployment around the District Magistrate’s office and Gournagar market. Kailashahar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jayanta Karmakar led a contingent of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and central forces to maintain order.
A Movement for Change
The protest underscores growing discontent among Tripura’s youth, who are demanding accountability and action from the state government, DYFI AND TYF leaders claimed.
