Residents and commuters were left distressed on Saturday morning as a section of the public staged a protest on the busy Maharani stretch of the Amarpur-Udaipur road in Tripura’s Gomati district. The demonstration, which began early in the morning, caused severe traffic congestion on both sides of the road. Police and administrative officials were notably absent for a considerable period, further aggravating the situation.
The traffic disruption caused major inconvenience to daily commuters, with school students and examination candidates facing the brunt of the chaos. It wasn’t until around 9:30 a.m. that district officials arrived on the scene with a large police force. However, their presence was met with further resistance from the protestors.
The protest was reportedly sparked by a government action carried out the previous night. According to sources, certain local youth from both tribal and non-tribal communities had illegally occupied government land on either side of the Amarpur-Udaipur road near Banduar, where construction had begun on temporary shops. These individuals were reportedly taking advantage of the proposed development of a spiritual pilgrimage site in the area — planned as one of the 51 Shakti Peeths (centres of divine feminine energy).
On Friday night, authorities demolished the under-construction structures, removing rooftops and dismantling posts erected to claim land. In response, locals launched a protest the following morning.
Eventually, around 10:15 a.m., discussions were held between protestors, police and civil administration officials, as well as local ruling party leaders. Following assurances that the matter would be reviewed in consultation with the District Magistrate of Gomati, the protest was withdrawn.
