AGARTALA: Amid high security and bad weather , thousands of activists belonging to tribal-based opposition party Indigenous Peoples' Front of Twipra (IPFT) have joined the indefinite road and rail blockades at Baramura hill range from Monday morning to press for their demand of a separate Twipraland for tribals of the state.Security has been beefed up across the hill range, with a few civil administration officials, superintendents of police of West Tripura and Khowai districts and commanding officers of CRPF and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans camping in the locality.The road is blocked at Chandrasadhupara on NH 44 and the rail track is blocked at Ganthalong locality at the western foothill of Baramura range . The Northeast Frontier Railway has cancelled all train services to and from Agartala until the agitation ends. However, with vehicles being diverted through an alternative highway and the train line remaining open till Teliamura, about 45 kilometres north of the city, there has been a less-than-expected effect on connectivity.IPFT has been condemning the 'big brother attitude' of the Left Front government towards the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC). They have been appealing to the government at the Centre to consider their demand of a separate tribal state."The central government from time to time releases special financial packages for ADCs of northeast but Tripura government is not releasing the amount to ADC. The ADC administration has passed two bills in last ten years proposing greater autonomy of ADC and sent it for Governor's assent but one was returned with rejection and other is still pending," alleged IPFT president NC Debbarma.Other ADCs of the northeast have been enjoying greater autonomy as per constitutional provisions and direct funding from the Centre for fifteen years, said Debbarma. "The communist government does not want it here just to keep the council as their shadow to deprive the tribals," he added.Debbarma further alleged that the Left Front government has been running the ADC as a department of the state and deliberately subjugating rights of tribals. He reiterated that the blockade will continue till their demand is accepted.Meanwhile, police said the number of demonstrators has been swelling gradually and they are agitating in violent manner and raising slogans. However, there has been no report of any untoward incident so far and security forces are keeping a close watch on the situation.

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