Kanchanpur, May 12, 2024, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Kanchanpur May 12: Fifteen landless families have sought refuge in the dense forest of Pekuchara after being evicted from their rented homes in Kanchanpur.
Despite being registered voters, these families have no residential land to call their own.
The plight of these landless families has escalated in recent days. Many had been living temporarily in Subhashnagar, Kanchanpur sub-division, and surrounding areas. Their precarious situation worsened when landlords evicted them due to their inability to pay rent.
Desperate and with nowhere else to turn, they migrated to the Pekuchhara area under the jurisdiction of the Jalebasa forest department in Panisagar, North Tripura district.
In the forest, makeshift tents made from bamboo and leaves serve as their homes. These families, including small children, have become like nomads, seeking shelter wherever they can.
However, their struggle intensified when forest department staff forcibly dismantled their shelters, on Saturday night leaving them with no place to stay.
The situation took a darker turn when forest workers physically assaulted women and children during the eviction.
The absence of female forest workers during the operation further exacerbated the trauma. Threats from the forest department staff loomed over the landless families as they endured a night under the open sky.
Motimala Nath and Mampi Nath, among the affected families, expressed their frustration.
“Despite being citizens of the state and voting for years, we are still landless. Finding no other way, we took refuge under the trees, but the forest department officials have snatched this away from us. also, we have been assaulted mercilessly including women and children”, alleged one of the women.

They now appealed to the Chief Minister of Tripura to consider their situation and grant even a small piece of land, questioning when “refugees from Mizoram can receive government facilities why will they continue to suffer”?
Meanwhile, the Forest Department’s actions have sparked outrage across the Panisagar subdivision.
As the sun rose on Sunday morning, the landless families’ plight became a focal point, highlighting the urgent need for a compassionate response to their predicament.