Tripura villagers launch protest against BSF

Agartala, July 1: People blocked traffic in Boxnagar Sonamura road at western border of Tripura with Bangladesh yesterday protesting against the restriction of civilian movement in the border areas by Border Security Force (BSF).

According to police, allegedly BSF has stopped the civilian movements in bordering pockets of Sonamura since past fortnight and beaten up at least four people, including two school students who reportedly violated the BSF instruction.

The villagers came out with the demand of withdrawing the order to make the civilian movement free up to the border, but BSF refused to allow them, which has the main cause of their anger.

BSF officials here said, besides, smuggling, barter system has got its legal acceptance, at least in western border of Tripura.

During summer the villagers are out to exchange their produce with Bangladesh counterparts at the border.

Most of the bordering villagers of Sonamura, Bishalgarah, Agartala, Khowai, Kamalpur and Kailashahar area have been making a livelihood by exchanging different agro produce with their Bangladesh counterparts throughout the year.

"It has now become a tradition that the Bangladeshi traders are purchasing a jackfruit by exchanging a chicken or 16 eggs or 10 kilogram rice and in cash, the amount goes up to even Rs 80. Since Bangladeshi traders cross over to India and purchase jackfruit, the villagers are not too keen to sell the product in markets," said a senior BSF official here today.

In addition to jackfruit, pineapple, litchi, mango, lemon and guava are being smuggled to Bangladesh every year. And the finished fruit products reached Tripura markets again through the same route.

However, BSF put a bar on civilian movement along with goods at border citing the reason that contraband merchandises are coming Tripura and posing a threat to India's security, which has enraged the villagers.

UNI