Nagendra Jamatia, the
veteran tribal leader who brokered peace with insurgent outfit Tripura National
Volunteers (TNV) in 1988 passed away before dawn on Monday.
He breathed his last at
his residence here at the age of 71. His family said Mr. Jamatia was suffering
from health complications for past few years.
Mr. Jamatia, who was
admired for his writing skill and social engagements, was a minister in the
Congress-led coalition government for five years from 1988.
The leader of Tripura
Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS), which is now known as Indigenous Peoples Front of
Tripura (INPT), is best known for his success in bringing TNV supremo Bijoy
Kumar Hrangkhawl to bargain peace with the Centre. His efforts in participation
of security agencies culminated peace accord signed in New Delhi in the
presence of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Mr. Jamatia later
admitted that the entire exercise of dialogue with TNV had to be kept a top
secret under instruction from New Delhi and became public only after signing of
the accord. Besides him, the then Chief Minister Sudhir Ranjan Majumder was the
only other person in the loop.
Interestingly, Bijoy
Kumar Hrangkhawl is now president of the INPT in which Mr. Jamatia was in top
in its all shape. Mr. Hrangkhawl and his entire team of office bearers rushed
to residence of the deceased to offer condolences.
Chief Minister Biplab
Kumar Deb, his cabinet colleagues and prominent personalities expressed grief
at demise of Mr. Jamatia.
Mr. Jamatia is survived
by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Source: The Hindu
