Agitating areca nut farmers withdrew the indefinite strike at Jampui Hill in Tripura following a meeting between the farmers and North Tripura District Administration on Tuesday (Nov 29).
The areca nut farmers started the indefinite strike on November 28 protesting against restrictions imposed by the Assam Government at inter-border transportation of areca nuts from Tripura and Mizoram for selling to brokers of Assam.
The areca nut farmers’ union, along with holding ‘successful’ strike in Jampui on November 28, also wrote a letter to Tripura Chief Minister seeking his intervention in solving the ongoing impasse which is going on past several months. According to the areca nut farmers, due to the restrictions imposed by the Assam Government, areca nut growers of Jampui hill and others parts of North district are facing a bleak future.
Quoting one of the arecanut growers of Jampui Hills, J D Miwai, IANS reported on November 28, “after the Assam government imposed transportation restrictions on areca nuts, over 2,000 families dependent on betel nut farming and trade are bearing the brunt”.
Announcing withdrawal of the indefinite strike, leaders of the agitating areca nut farmers commented, “In view of the commitment and measures taken by all concerned authorities of the government of Tripura to address our problem of sale and transportation of our areca nut produce, which we find satisfactory at this moment — our indefinite total bandh has been temporarily called off with effect from 4 pm of 29 Nov. 2022”.
The leaders of areca nut farmers also said, “We expect and hope that our Subdivisional Office and North District Office authorities will continue to work hard with other concerned authorities and their counterparts in the Assam government towards a permanent solution to this humanitarian crisis”. They thanked the public for their support and cooperation.
