By Firstdespatch Desk Sep 13, 2022
Agartala, Sept 13 (FD) When the law and order is the sole subject of police, their repeated failure to protect the citizens of the capital city have prompted many groups youths to patrol the streets of Agartala at night, for the past three weeks. The teams cover their patrol armed with sticks, iron rods, torches etc from 11 pm till 4:30 am.
In spite of repeated assurance of the police department in checking crimes, the local citizens have expressed their fear and restlessness due to recent cases of 2 robberies and 11 thefts at the capital, mostly in close proximity to police stations. The counts of few arrests in theft cases were possible due to the participation of locals, not police.
These vigilant groups are comprised of businessmen, students, teachers and daily wage workers who expressed their discontentment with the ability of police’s fast speeding night patrol cars.
Two reports of armed robbery have been made in Aralia and Baldakhal in West Tripura district on August 22 and 24.
Owner of a small medical store in Jogendranagar Naboday para, Pradip Sharma said that his neighborhood is patrolled by 6 to 7 groups, each consisting of 10 to 12 members.
Aniket Chakroborty, a young 23 year old graduate armed with iron rods and sticks has joined his elder brothers and other male members in this vigilant party. He said that a group of armed young men may seem intimidating but it is their unity that provides them strength.
Dr. Ashim Shill, a research associate and teacher at Tripura, who took the lead of the vigilant party in Shib Mandir para said, “We can’t really help...setting up local night patrol teams in every para is the only option. Police are patrolling the area but on vehicles that whoosh past these narrow alleys. What we need is a steady watch by foot patrols. We asked the police so many times for it but to no avail. There is a fear psychosis in the locality. We had to come down on the streets, leaving our mothers and wives at home alone,”
The locals are mostly employees in 10 to 5 jobs and hence the numbers of volunteers are gradually decreasing.
“We have asked the police to provide foot patrols… Police are doing their job. Yes, but sadly we have to burn the midnight oil while it’s not our job,” a night-patrol volunteer said.
Subrata Kar, a volunteer said,” It’s hard for us to keep doing this. I am a private tutor. Our club secretary is a university employee. All of us need to stay 100 percent active throughout the day. Patrolling the streets at night takes a heavy toll on our health,”
Nonetheless, the volunteers said that they are not sure how they will combat if they face dacoits but they will not spare anyone surely.
In the past few months, attacks of robbery and thefts have been made in areas of Agartala including, Aralia, Champamura and Baldakhal along with supposed safe residential areas of Ramnagar. FD DM JK
Photo coursy - The Indian Express