Communal Tensions in Tripura’s Unakoti Leave Homes, Shops and Mosque Damaged

A dispute over the collection of donations for a temple fair spiralled into communal violence in Tripura’s Unakoti district on January 10, leaving a Muslim-majority hamlet in Saidarpar village scarred by arson, vandalism and fear, with residents alleging targeted attacks on homes, businesses and a mosque.

Police said ten people have been arrested in connection with the violence. Four police personnel and six civilians were injured. Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar Rai told PTI on Sunday that no fresh incidents had been reported and that paramilitary forces were conducting foot patrolling in sensitive areas to maintain peace.

The violence broke out in Saidarpar, under the Kumarghat sub-division, after a vehicle carrying timber for the construction of a mosque was stopped near a Bhairav temple, where donations were being collected for an upcoming puja and fair, according to residents and eyewitnesses.

According to one of the victim’s sons who was seriously injured during this incident, now arrested by the police, said the timber had been legally purchased from his family’s shop and was being transported by a driver from a nearby village when it was intercepted. The driver was allegedly questioned about the destination of the wood and told to pay a donation immediately.

“They asked where the timber came from and for whom it was meant. When he said it was for a mosque, they brought him back and demanded money on the spot,” he told Outlook.

When his father reached the spot to intervene, he tried to explain that the family routinely contributed to temple events and had even supplied timber free of cost for temple construction in the past. He also offered to pay any remaining donation later, noting that the fair was still weeks away. “Instead of listening, they assaulted him and the driver,” the victim’s son said, adding that his father suffered head injuries after being beaten with sticks.

The injured men were first taken to a nearby hospital and later shifted to Kailashahar district hospital for treatment. By then, word of the altercation had spread, and tensions escalated rapidly in the surrounding area.

Houses, Shops, Vehicles Burnt

An eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, told Outlook that by late morning, large groups had begun gathering near the village. “First a few people came on bikes, then suddenly there were hundreds,” he said. According to residents, slogans were raised as the crowd moved through the settlement, setting fire to homes and commercial establishments.

Several houses belonging to Muslim families were torched, along with small shops and roadside businesses. A timber shop stocked with wood worth several lakh rupees was completely destroyed. At least ten vehicles—including trucks, tractors and smaller commercial vehicles—were burned, depriving families of their primary sources of income.

One woman who ran a small petrol-selling kiosk by the roadside was attacked when her shop was set on fire, residents said. She was chased and beaten as she tried to save her belongings and later fled the area. Her house was also torched.

The violence extended to a mosque that was under construction in the village. Residents said newly installed tiles and glass doors were smashed, the imam’s room was burned, and copies of the Quran were set on fire. Nearby cattle sheds and poultry farms were also destroyed.

The eyewitness said police arrived only after much of the damage had already been done. “Everything had been burned by the time the police came,” he said. Residents alleged that despite repeated calls, security forces were slow to intervene.

In the days following the violence, residents said they faced additional distress as police began detaining people from the affected community. The victim’s son said his father was arrested from the hospital while recovering from his injuries and later remanded to custody. Others, including a village representative, were also picked up from their homes.

Both the victim’s family and the residents claimed their attempts to file formal complaints were rebuffed. “When we go to the police station, they tell us nothing is happening and ask us to go home,” the eyewitness said. He alleged that while victims were being detained, many of those who led the attacks were moving freely.

Fear continues to grip the area, residents said, with many families abandoning their homes and seeking refuge elsewhere. “We are not staying in the village anymore,” the eyewitness said. “Children are scattered, people don’t know where to get food from, and there is terror everywhere.”

“After everything we have lost, it is only us who are being taken away by the police,” another resident alleged.

Police, however, said the situation is now under control. SP Rai said paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive pockets and regular foot patrols are being conducted to prevent any further flare-ups.

The district administration has yet to announce relief measures or compensation for families whose homes, places of worship and livelihoods were destroyed in the violence.