Tribals gherao secretariat building in Siliguri, police fire tear gas, water cannon | Watch

Tensions flared in Siliguri on Thursday as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse a large-scale protest march by tribal communities heading toward Uttar Kanya, the state government's branch secretariat. The demonstrators, organized under the banner of the Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM) and supported by other indigenous groups, were protesting alleged administrative failure in protecting tribal land rights and rising incidents of harassment against tribal women. The marchers were stopped at a major police barricade near Tinbatti More, where a standoff quickly escalated into a confrontation.

The protesters' anger stems from a specific incident in December where a tribal family near the Indo-Bangladesh border was allegedly attacked by a civic volunteer over a land dispute. Protesters claimed that despite the death of an infant following the assault, the administration had failed to take sufficient action against all the accused. During the "Uttar Kanya Abhiyan," when the crowd attempted to breach the barricades to submit a memorandum, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police resorted to force to maintain law and order, citing the enforcement of prohibitory orders around the secretariat.

Visuals from the spot showed a chaotic scene with security personnel firing tear gas shells and water cannon to push back the agitators, who retaliated with slogans and, in some pockets, stone pelting. The tribal leaders have condemned the police action, stating that their "peaceful democratic protest" was met with state brutality. This incident adds to the growing political heat in North Bengal, as various tribal and Gorkha organizations ramp up pressure on the state government ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.