Tripura LoP urges CM to reinstall statue of communist leader & relocate Lord Ram's idol

IANS April 14, 2025 194 views

Tripura's Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury has written to Chief Minister Manik Saha demanding the restoration of communist leader Baidyanath Majumder's statue. The statue was originally removed in 2018 after the BJP came to power, and recently an idol of Lord Ram was installed at the same location. Chaudhury argues that the installation goes against Tripura's cultural traditions and seeks the relocation of the Ram idol. The controversy highlights the ongoing political tensions between CPI-M and BJP in the state.

"This action is against the spirit of Tripura's tradition and culture" - Jitendra Chaudhury, LoP
Agartala, April 13: Tripura Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Jitendra Chaudhury on Sunday urged Chief Minister Manik Saha to re-establish the statue of the leading communist leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Baidyanath Majumder at its original place in Kailashahar after replacing an idol of Lord Ram.

Key Points

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CPI-M leader seeks restoration of communist leader's statue

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Idol of Lord Ram installed at disputed location

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Statue originally dismantled in 2018 after BJP's election victory

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Highlights cultural and political sensitivity of the issue

Request of the LoP, also CPI-M’s Tripura state Secretary, to the Chief Minister comes two-day after unidentified persons installed the idol of Lord Ram at the same cement structure where the statue of the prominent CPI-M’s leader Baidyanath Majumder was situated in Unakoti district town Kailashahar before it was bulldozed in March 2018 after the BJP came to power in the state.

In his letter to the Chief Minister, the LoP, a CPI-M politburo member, said that the idol of Lord Ram was installed at the same spot where the statue of former Deputy Chief Minister Baidyanath Majumder was situated before it was dismantled and thrown into the Manu River after the 2018 Assembly elections.

“Former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had also condemned the heinous act and assured of reinstalling the statue, but he did not maintain his commitment,” the LoP said.

He added: “Like the people of all sections of the state, you also might be saddened by the installation of an idol of Lord Ram in place of the communist leader’s statue. This action is against the spirit of Tripura’s tradition and culture.”

The LoP requested the Chief Minister to relocate the Lord Ram idol to a suitable place or temple and reinstall the Left leader’s statue with full honour.

“Baidyanath Majumder, one of the most prominent communist leaders, had dedicated his entire life to the cause of the people and went to jail under the British regime,” the LoP said.

Meanwhile, BJP's Unakoti district President Bimal Kar, while talking to the media, strongly denied the involvement of any party workers or leaders in the installation of the idol of Lord Ram at the spot where the statue of the distinguished communist leader was situated before being dismantled.

The installation of the idol of Lord Ram came amid the CPI-M’s plan to rebuild a new statue of Majumder to honour his legacy.

The statue of the former Deputy Chief Minister was first installed at the same spot in Kailashahar in 2012.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.
This seems like such an unnecessary controversy. Why can't we have both statues in different locations? Both leaders deserve respect for their contributions. 🙏
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Rahul S.
The way the original statue was treated in 2018 was completely wrong. Regardless of political differences, we shouldn't destroy memorials like this. Hope the CM finds a balanced solution.
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Anjali M.
While I respect Lord Ram, installing religious idols in place of political memorials sets a dangerous precedent. The original statue should be restored with dignity.
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Sanjay P.
The LoP makes a fair point, but the tone could be more conciliatory. Instead of framing it as "replace Ram's idol," why not suggest creating a memorial space that honors both our political and spiritual heritage?
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Neha T.
Majumder sounds like he was a true patriot who fought for our freedom. His statue deserves to stand somewhere prominent, though maybe not necessarily at the exact same spot if that's now a place of worship.
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Vikram D.
Interesting how this comes up right when CPI-M plans to rebuild the statue. Politics aside, we should preserve history - both the good and bad chapters. Maybe a museum would be better than public statues that keep getting torn down?

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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Tags:
Tripura Politics Jitendra Chaudhury Baidyanath Majumder CPI-M BJP Lord Ram Statue Political Controversy
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