Attempt to occupy Chabimura foils, police resort to lathi charge, fire tear gas shells

Tension prevailed in Chabimura under Amarpur subdivision after a violent crowd of Tipra Motha supporters ran amok in the tourist site in order to forcefully occupy the management of it on Saturday. 

This is for the second time, an attempt has been made to oust the tourism department appointed management and take control over the iconic tourist site that records a substantial footfall of tourists round the year.

In order to restore calm, police opened lathi charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the angry crowd.   

According to police, angry protesters attempted to forcefully enter the tourist spot and vandalise public property.

Sources said the tourism facility had been managed for the past several years by a self-help group named Hachuk Mathai. The SHG had been authorised by the Tourism Department to handle the day-to-day affairs of the tourist destination.

However, after the recently concluded TTAADC elections, supporters of the Tipra Motha Party — which recorded a decisive victory in the polls — allegedly tried to take control of the tourist spot. They also sought possession of the keys, sources said.

On April 25, the first round of protests led by Tipra Motha workers was staged, which was later withdrawn after intervention by the administration.

A meeting was subsequently held on April 28 at the conference hall of the Amarpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Officials of the tourism department, civil administration, police, elected representatives and members of both sides attended the meeting. Despite prolonged deliberations, no amicable conclusion could be reached.

On Saturday morning, protesters again assembled at Chabimura and reiterated their demand that the keys of the tourist facility be handed over to them immediately.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anupam Chakraborty, other civil officials and senior police officers rushed to the spot. The officials held talks with the protesters and made efforts to pacify them, but the agitators refused to accept the proposals put forward by the administration.

With talks failing to yield any positive result, a section of the protesters allegedly turned violent and began vandalising tourism infrastructure, prompting police to intervene.

"Police used a mild baton charge and fired four rounds of tear gas shells to bring the situation under control and disperse the violent crowd," an official said.

No serious injuries were reported in the incident.