The General Council of CITU, meeting in Kozhikode, Kerala, on 23-26 March 2018 expresses grave concern at the barbaric attacks by BJP/RSS hoodlums on the people of Tripura, particularly targeting the supporters of the left parties and the left oriented mass organisations, immediately after coming to power in the state.
Attacks by the BJP and its ally, the IPFT started on the same day of counting, as soon as the BJP front’s victory became clear. Physical attacks on members, cadres and supporters of the left parties and burning of their houses, looting and ransacking of properties, vandalising, capturing and burning of the offices of left parties and several mass organisations including the offices of CITU have been continuing throughout the state since then. The state administration has remained a silent spectator. Hundreds of left cadres and activists have been injured in these attacks and several of them had to be hospitalised. The offices of CITU, particularly those of the Tripura Motor Shramik Union have been targeted for attacks by the BJP goons. Many of these offices have been locked; the CITU flags bought down and the BJP flags have been hoisted forcibly. Many offices of the cooperative societies have also been similarly captured driving out the organisers and beneficiaries. While the ideologues of RSS, the parent organisation of BJP admire fascists like Hitler and Mussolini of Germany and Italy, who have cold bloodedly murdered hundreds of thousands of common people, their followers have brought down the statue of Lenin, who led the struggle for emancipation of the toiling people in Russia. Such is the hypocrisy of these fascistic forces in the country.
Owing to this violence, in many areas, the male members of the families had to flee their homes. The BJP hoodlums are attacking even the women left in the house and extorting huge amounts of money threatening to set the house on fire and kill their kids. Thousands of working people have become homeless and are unable to go to their workplaces due to the terror. An atmosphere of terror is sought to be created throughout the state in order to mime all opposition to BJP rule. This violence, meticulously planned in advance, is aimed at annihilating the Left, particularly the trade unions, the other mass organisations and welfare societies so long run democratically for the benefit of the people.
CITU General Council notes with pride that despite such terror and violence patronised by the state government, the activists of the Left, trade unions and democratic movement are bravely facing the situation. Leaders of left parties, CITU and other mass organisation are visiting the affected people across the state and providing them all the necessary help and support. They are trying to mobilise the people to raise their voice against such organised attacks being promoted by the BJP led state government.
The General Council of CITU affirms that such barbarism and fascistic violence is inbuilt in the ideology and modus operandi of RSS and BJP. This has to be combated both politically and organisationally. The General Council recalls the glorious tradition and record of the working class movement in Tripura which has heroically fought and successfully defeated such violence and attacks by the earlier Congress regime, when it allied with the separatist and terrorist outfits. It is to the credit of the Left Front government in the state that it has established peace and harmony in the state after coming to the power again in 1993. CITU General Council expresses its total confidence that this time too, the working class movement in Tripura will politically, ideologically and organisationally defeat the onslaught of the divisive, disruptive and communal forces.
The General Council takes proud note of the protest demonstrations organised at the initiative of CITU state committees, against the attacks by the BJP and in solidarity with the people of Tripura. The General Council calls upon the working class all over the country irrespective of affiliations, to come forward in support of the Left and working class movement of Tripura, to defend democracy and unity of the people in the state.
