Teliamura (Tripura) Aug 30: Once a highly sensitive area plagued by militant attacks, a village in Tripura – Godaibari in Khowai district’s Kalyanpur police station area, under Prem Sing Urang ADC Village – has transformed into a beacon of peace, harmony, and development.
Overcoming its hilly inaccessibility, a paved road has been constructed under the Prime Minister’s Road Scheme, resolving the villagers’ transportation issues. Located about 10 km from Kalyanpur police station, Godaibari was once marked as a highly sensitive area on the state administration’s map. It was known as a stronghold of terrorists, a free zone for insurgents.
The village was synonymous with fear for both non-tribal and tribal communities.
Between 1996 and 2005, reaching Godaibari was a terrifying ordeal due to the active presence of militants who repeatedly killed leaders and activists of mass movements in the area.
Notably, on August 31, 2000, Tapan Chakraborty, a youth leader and mass movement figure, was killed by militants while returning from a peace march. Another leader, Prem Sing Urang, a key figure in the tribal and non-tribal mass peace movement, was also murdered by extremists. In his memory, the ADC village was named Prem Sing Urang ADC Village.
Armed with sophisticated firearms, militants carried out killings, abductions, extortion, and intimidation, while frequently targeting security forces with gunfire. Amid such terror, normal life was disrupted, and developmental activities came to a standstill. However, with the cooperation of the local people and stringent measures by security forces, Godaibari and Prem Sing Urang ADC Village have undergone a remarkable transformation.
Thanks to collective initiatives and determination – the village, once a ghost-like area, has come alive. Development initiatives have taken root, with barren fields now under cultivation. Paved roads cut through green fields, and electricity and drinking water have reached the village. Prosperity has touched Godaibari, leaving behind the dark days of terror.
Moving forward on the path of development, the tribal and non-tribal communities of Godaibari are united as partners in progress. Rejecting violence and division, the people of Prem Sing Urang ADC Village aspire to walk hand in hand toward a brighter future, as conveyed by the residents themselves.
