Bru Refugee Crisis: 131 Bru Tribals Repatriated to Mizoram

Aizwal: In a sigh of relief amid the ongoing Bru refugee crisis between Tripura and Mizoram, a total of 131 of the 32,876 Bru refugees on September 19 returned to their homes in Mizoram from refugee camps in Tripura.

Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abeda Nanda’ stated that ‘around 130 refugees belonging to 21 families returned to Mizoram from northern Tripura. We have provided logistical support and security to the refugees to reach the Tripura-Mizoram border’.

According to media reports, the number of families who have returned stood at 30.

It may be mentioned that the repatriation was decided in July in New Delhi after a series of meetings. Top officials of the Tripura and Mizoram governments, Union Home Ministry and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) had signed the agreement.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and his Mizoram counterpart Lal Thanhawla were all present during the signing of the pact.

As per the agreement, 32,876 Reang tribals, comprising of 5,407 families, were scheduled to start returning to their homeland in three Mizoram districts from August 16 or 17. The multi-phase repatriation was scheduled to be completed by September 30. But the refugees refused to return reiterating their old demands, including providing security in Mizoram by the central para-military forces and allotment of sufficient land for farming besides formation of the Area Development Council.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Home Department Additional Secretary Lalbiakzama told the media in Aizawl that 4,199 Reang tribal families would be resettled in 48 villages in Mamit District, 824 and 384 families would be resettled in 10 villages in Kolasib and four villages in Lunglei District. (SATP Inputs)