Chaos erupts in Montang Valley in Tripura, locals oppose Forest department's JFM plan
A land dispute at the picturesque Montang Valley under Teliamura sub-division in Tripura sparked utter chaos and fiery agitation by the locals against the administration on Thursday.
The Forest department claimed that five families had illegally occupied the land in the Montang valley and were exploiting the tourists by collecting money under various pretext and the natural resources. It was alleged the members of the five families charged exorbitant prices for bottled water and car parking from the tourists and also engaged in timber smuggling.
A team of Forest officials, led by SDFO Sabbir Kanti Das, along with police and CRPF personnel and one DCM, visited the site on Thursday to implement a plan to develop the area and empower the local Janajati people through JFM.
However, the team faced fierce resistance from the five families and their supporters, who protested against the move. One of the women even stripped naked as a sign of defiance.
The situation worsened when the Forest team arrested a timber smuggler from Montang and tried to take him to Teliamura. On their way to Teliamura, in another round of protest, the team was confronted by a large crowd of angry villagers at Rangi Tilla of Chakmaghat, who demanded the release of the arrested person.
The detained person was, however, taken to the Forest office. But the protestors gheraoed SDFO and other Forest staff demanding immediate release of the detained person. The situation had turned volatile within minutes.
SDPO Teliamura Sudambika R. along with officer-in-charge of Teliamura and Mungiakami police station rushed to the spot but they failed to convince the agitators.
Later, Himendra Kalai, the wife of MDC Kamal Kalai, intervened and persuaded the SDPO Teliamura to free the arrested persons. The five hours long plight of forest department personnel who remained gheraoed by the protesting villagers ended with the release of the arrested person.