A group of tribal individuals associated with the opposition TIPRA Motha party organized a blockade on National Highway 8 in Mungiakami, Khowai district.

The protest, lasting nearly five hours on Monday, was driven by the demand for prompt demarcation of plots assigned to beneficiaries under the Forest Rights Act.

Led by Mahendra Debbarma, TIPRA Motha’s Mungiakami block president, the tribal group also demanded the government for increased protection for local villagers facing frequent wild elephant attacks.

Mahendra Debbarma, addressing the media, emphasized the severity of the issue, citing approximately 26-27 wild elephant attacks in the past year.

He claimed, many of these incidents went unreported, as they occurred in areas like rubber plantations and paddy fields.

Mahendra Debbarma emphasized that many tribal people in the area, with a traditional connection to the forests, have yet to see their designated plots officially marked by forest authorities. The road blockade, initiated at 9 am, continued until 1.45 pm.

The party’s decision to block the national highway aimed to draw attention to escalating human-animal conflicts and the unresolved status of land demarcation under the Forest Rights Act, posing challenges for tribal communities practicing jhum or shifting cultivation for survival.