Agartala, September 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Vehicular movement along National Highway-8 and railway services in Tripura were disrupted on Friday after surrendered cadres of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) launched a 72-hour blockade to press for their 11-point demands, including economic rehabilitation.
A police spokesperson said around 400 surrendered militants from the two groups were holding road and railway track blockades at three locations across Khowai and West Tripura districts.
The blockade brought traffic on National Highway-8, a key road lifeline for the state, to a halt at the affected locations. The agitation also disrupted railway operations, with the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) cancelling or short-terminating 10 express and local trains.
A large contingent of security personnel, led by senior police officers, has been deployed in the affected areas to manage the situation.
The NLFT and ATTF cadres surrendered their arms and ammunition after signing a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on September 4, 2024. The groups have now alleged that several commitments made under the agreement, particularly those concerning rehabilitation and livelihood opportunities, remain unfulfilled.
Jibonjoy Reang, a spokesperson for the surrendered militants, said many former cadres were still without homes and facing financial hardship due to the alleged lack of livelihood opportunities promised by the state government.
Reang said the militants had responded to the government’s appeal to give up arms and return to the mainstream, but claimed that the assurances made under the peace agreement had not been adequately implemented.
He said the groups were prepared to withdraw the blockade if the state government provided a written assurance on their demands. Reang also warned that continued inaction could lead to an indefinite statewide agitation seeking economic rehabilitation for surrendered NLFT and ATTF cadres.
Former NLFT leader Prasanjit Debbarma said around 1,200 former militants had surrendered to the Centre and the Tripura government under various peace agreements, expecting rehabilitation and socio-economic reintegration.
Debbarma alleged that several commitments under the tripartite agreement remained pending despite repeated representations to the authorities. He claimed that even after more than two years since many former militants abandoned violence, only a small number had been identified as beneficiaries of the rehabilitation package.
According to Debbarma, the Central government had announced a ₹250 crore rehabilitation package covering economic assistance, livelihood generation, welfare measures and other initiatives intended to support the former militants’ reintegration into civilian life.
The surrendered militant groups had previously blocked railway and highway traffic on June 12 over rehabilitation demands. They later withdrew the agitation following an appeal from the state government to address their concerns.
Following the September 4, 2024 agreement, several hundred NLFT and ATTF militants formally surrendered before Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha at a ceremony at the headquarters of the Tripura State Rifles’ 7th Battalion in Jampuijala, Sepahijala district, on September 24, 2024.
The latest blockade has once again brought the implementation of rehabilitation commitments for surrendered militants into focus, while authorities work to restore normal road and rail movement across the affected areas.
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