AGARTALA, Dec 9 - The statewide bandh in Tripura against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill by some tribal parties including IPFT, INPFT evoked mixed response on Monday.
The development coincided with tabling of the Bill in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah amidst the opposition�s protest.
Train services were badly affected as the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) suspended a number of trains due to the bandh but air service remained as usual, according to sources.
Normal life was as usual in non-tribal areas, but vehicles remained off the roads and attendance in government officials, schools and educational institutions was thin in tribal and mixed-population areas of the state. Around 60 bandh picketers who had gathered to block a road on Monday morning were arrested from the state capital.
At least 10 teachers of Ratanpur SB and Birchandrapur SB schools of Khowai district were injured when a group of bike-borne political activists attacked them at the school premises. The teachers went to the schools as examinations were scheduled to take place on Monday.
Bandh supporters stalled the Humsafar Express, which was coming from Bengaluru, near Trishabari in Khowai district. The passengers were the worst sufferers as there train was stuck at Trishabari, a remote area in Teliamura subdivision where there was no food and water.
No vehicles left the Radhanagar Motor Stand for Khowai, Kamalpur and Kumarghat as IPFT supporters blocked the Agartala-Simna-Khowai road since morning. In some areas, IPFT supporters vandalised vehicles and burnt tyres in support of the bandh.
The bandh was total in Khumulwng, the headquarters of the TTAADC, and Jampuijala with people preferring to remain at home due to the bandh. There was no vehicle movement towards Khumulwng that stalled normal life. An uneasy calm descended at Jampuijala, Takarjala and Golaghati � all tribal-dominated areas � in the wake of the bandh. Tripura University and MBB University postponed their scheduled examinations due to the bandh.
