MHA announces final package for Bru refugees

Kanchanpur (North Tripura), Nov 7: To end up two decades long issue of Bru refugee repatriation from Tripura, central government has agreed to provide a one-time cash assistance of Rs 1.3 lakhs and monthly aid of Rs 5,000 per family for two years besides, a plot of two hectare land and free ration, almost equal to the demand of displaced families. 

While reviewing the progress of Bru refugee repatriation from six camps of North Tripura to Mizoram, Special Secretary to Ministry of Home Affairs (Northeast) Mahesh Kumar Singla informed the inmates that to begin repatriation in January next central government would host a bunch of benefits. Singla met the displaced people lodging in Kaskao and Naisinghpara relief camps yesterday. He said the Bru youths belonging to the displaced families would get support in appearing in interview for appointment to BSF and other paramilitary forces apart from regular benefits assured to repatriated families. Singla, however, made it clear that to resolve the Bru problem this is the final deal from the central government and said, “We have tried to explain them about the benefits that would be given by the government and the extended benefits that they can avail in the form of central flagship and welfare schemes. Now, it is their call to decide whether they will return,” Singla told reporters. The Bru repatriation process was disrupted several times in last two years in spite of sincere attempts on the part the central government. Initially, the displaced families raised security issues after their repatriation to Mizoram. They demanded cluster based rehabilitation including free housing, at least two hectare of land, free ration, all civic amenities, but the Mizoram government refused to accept their demands. As a result, even after beginning the repatriation process, it was halted thrice in two years. Later, Mizoram government expressed its inability to provide economic package and social security including cluster based rehabilitation to Brus due to inadequacy of land. It urged the Centre to extend support for settling Brus in locations of North and Western part of Mizoram. After a long persuasion the central government agreed to offer the package for repatriation and re-settlement of Bru families. Over 37,000 people of Bru families fled away from Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts of Mizoram to North Tripura following an ethnic clash between Mizo and Bru in 1997. A few more took shelter in Tripura camps in 2009 when fresh riots broke out in Western Mizoram. Some of them returned in six phases of repatriation.
However, most are averse to return due to apprehensions of lack of security and bad living conditions back home. The MHA team led by Singla came well prepared with leaflets printed in Bru language describing the details of the packages and the government view. Replying to apprehensions of possible ethnic backlash post-repatriation, Singla assured that Government of Mizoram had agreed to accept the displaced Bru families. The next phase of repatriation would start in January, 2018. Dates for the process would be finalized by December. Singla made it clear that all sort of relief to Bru camps in Tripura would be stopped after the deadline post the date and no person agreeing to the deal would be entertained as internally displaced person’s status anymore. UNI