GUWAHATI, May 21: Hundreds of displaced Brus from Mizoram have started returning
to their places today. The development was made possible following the assurance from the Union Government.
“The first phase of the repatriation of the Brus, displaced in November 2009, will complete on May 26 provided the Mizoram government organizes the transport
facilities. In the first phase, a total of 210 Bru families have been identified for repatriation,” said in a statement issued by Asian Centre for Human Rights, which mediated with the concerned parties.  Though repatriation was slated for May 11, Mizoram government’s failure to provide transportation delayed it. Now the transportation facilities have been arranged by the Mizoram government with assistance from Tripura, informed the New Delhi based rights group.
Talking to this reporter, Suhas Chakma, director of Asian Centre for Human Rights stated, “The repatriation is taking place after written assurances were given by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India about rehabilitation and security of the returnee Brus through the Asian Centre for Human Rights. The Bru Coordination Committee submitted its demands for rehabilitation of the newly arrived Brus through the ACHR.”
The Union Home Ministry in a written communication to the ACHR informed that it had sanctioned grants-in-aid of Rs. 2.43 crore to the Mizoram Government for repatriation and rehabilitation of the Bru families who had fled to Tripura in November, 2009. This fund would be utilized by the Mizoram government for providing housing assistance, free ration for a period of 9 months and other relevant expenditures.
“Apart from these, assistance include cost of preparation of land for Jhum cultivation to Bru families who did not flee to Tripura, household kits and for meeting cost of construction of barracks, sentry posts etc for State Armed Police/IR Bn who would be deployed in relevant areas for facilitating peaceful repatriation and rehabilitation of Bru migrants,” Chakma added.
He also opined that the first phase of repatriation should build necessary confidence to start the stalled dialogue for resolving the disputes surrounding the Brus who fled in 1997. The ACHR encourages both the Mizoram Government and the refugee leaders of Bru Coordination Committee to avail the opportunity for a permanent solution to the Bru crisis. Mentionable that over 35,000 Brus displaced from Mizoram since 1997 are now taking shelter in six makeshift camps under Kanchanpur sub-division of Tripura. In November 2009, fresh displacement of about 5,000 Brus took place and many of them fled to Tripura. The ACHR immediately undertook a fact finding mission at the invitation of the Mizoram Government. Later in February 2010, the Union Home Ministry had requested the rights body to use its good offices to convince the Bru IDPs to return to Mizoram.

Nava Thakuria