Guerrilla leader on hunger strike

Agartala, Aug 12 (UNI) The indefinite hunger strike by former militant leader at Shyamali Bazar in support of a charter of demands entered the second day today.

A police official told UNI the former Tripura Resurection Army(TRA) president Dhananjoy Reang resorted to hunger strike from 4 pm yesterday demanding withdrawal of all cases against those who had surrendered, financial help from the chief minister and prime minister's relief funds and scope for better treatment facility outside the state for him and others.

A large number of his TRA supporters laid down arms and ammunition a few years ago and returned to mainstram, but the state government was yet to implement their demands, the former guerrilla leader alleged. Moreover, security forces were harassing them instead of withdrawing all pending cases against the surrendered militants.

Mr Reang was also the vice-president of the erstwhile dreaded underground outfit Tribal National Volunteer(TNV), now a tribal based political party of which Mr Bijoy Kumar Hrankhwal was the president. Mr Reang surrendered along with Mr Hrangkhawl but later formed the TRA.

He demanded immediate implementation of all promises made by the government during their surrender and said many of his comrades had gone back to jungle life owing to the government's 'step motherly' attitude.

Security measures had been tightened around government quarters of the former guerrilla leader, police said.

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