The Tripura government has provided government employment to 18 family members of political violence victims under a dedicated rehabilitation scheme, Power and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced on Friday, 13 June. Speaking at the Civil Secretariat in Agartala, Nath said the scheme — notified in December 2020 — was designed to extend a measure of relief to families devastated by decades of political killings in the state.

Scale of Political Violence in Tripura

Nath cited official records to underscore the scale of the problem the scheme seeks to address. Between 1993 and 2017, as many as 15,589 murders were reported in Tripura, of which several hundred were linked to political violence, he said. The minister attributed the bulk of these incidents to the period before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government assumed office in 2018.

This comes amid a broader political climate in which the ruling BJP and the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) have long traded accusations over political violence in the state — a pattern stretching back to the Left Front's decades-long tenure.

How the Scheme Works

The 'Scheme for Providing Employment to Members of the Family of Persons Killed in Political Violence' was formally notified on 23 December 2020. It initially covered cases of political killings that occurred up to 9 March 2018. The state Cabinet, under Chief Minister Manik Saha, subsequently approved an amendment removing that cutoff date, widening the scheme's eligibility to all verified cases regardless of when the killing occurred.

Under the scheme, each application undergoes a structured verification process. Police reports, official records, and other relevant documents are examined to determine whether a death qualifies as political violence and whether an eligible family member is available for appointment.

Scrutiny Committee and Transparency Measures

To ensure fairness, a scrutiny committee has been constituted under Minister Nath's chairmanship. The panel includes the Secretary of the Law Department, the Director of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, an Inspector General of Police, and a representative of the Home Department.

Nath said the government has received 38 petitions in total under the scheme. Of these, 18 eligible family members have already been provided government jobs, and 11 additional cases have been recommended for employment. Five petitions were rejected after inquiries failed to establish a link to political violence, while four applications remain under examination pending verification.

Documentation Challenges and the Government's Position

Nath acknowledged that several cases dating to the Left Front era have proven difficult to verify due to missing records, including absent police documents and official reports. 'Many incidents that occurred during the earlier period are difficult to verify because supporting documents are not available. In some cases, even police records are missing. However, the government is making every effort to examine each case carefully,' he said.

The minister also stressed that the scheme operates without political bias. 'We do not view political violence through a partisan lens. Whether the victim belonged to the BJP, CPI(M), Congress, or any other political party, every case is examined with equal importance and sensitivity,' Nath said. With 15 cases still in various stages of processing, the government's ability to resolve documentation gaps will determine how many more families ultimately receive relief.