New Bru militant outfit emerges in Barak Valley

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, Dec 9: Since the exodus of Brus or Reangs from Mizoram in the wake of the ethnic violence of 1997 to North Tripura and the southernmost part of Hailakandi, there has been unrest among the refugees. In the absence of any positive move by the Centre or the state of their origin, some youths in their desperation for liberation took to gun culture and floated their own militant outfit. One of them was Bru tiol Liberation Front (BNLF) led by Surjya Mani Reang and the other United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV) under the command of Panchuram Reang.

 Behind their emergence was the hand of NSCN (IM) as well as the militant outfits of Tripura with their bases in Chittagong of Bangladesh. However, finding the going tough, both the outfits laid down their arms and ammunitions and agreed to the rehabilitation package of the state governments. But, the diehard among them refused to surrender and remained in jungles, flexing their muscles with the sole objective of extortions, abductions for ransom and other crimil activities, creating fear-psychosis among the civilians to make space for themselves.

 The tough counter insurgency operations ultimately compelled them to retreat to their hideouts or surrender in batches. But, the lure of a misadventure for easy money, some Brus in frustration and the plight of their people, languishing in the relief camps of North Tripura have again come to the forefront, masquerading themselves as leaders of a newly floated Bru Revolutiory Army of Union (BRAU). In fact, as the information has trickled in, it indicates that it is a breakaway faction of United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA) led by Dhanyaram Reang.

 The leader of BRAU is Rajesh Chorkhy who has declared entire Barak Valley as their area of operation with four different groups commanding in their respective areas. These commands have been med as Karimganj, Hailakandi, Cachar and Kukicherra. Their demand is for Autonomous District Council and special provision for the Reangs. For this, their demand is for inclusion of 29 different departments under the proposed Council. Interestingly, their lists have legislative department, general administration and control department, fince and accounts, education and human resources, land revenue and settlement among others.

 One of their demands as listed in their press-handout is for including Reangs in the sixth schedule of the Constitution, besides the BRAU has pressed for reservation of jobs in various state and Central departments. They have also not left out among their demands model village, allotment of patta land and rehabilitation of the displaced Reangs due to evictions. The outfit has denied its involvement in any bloodshed or extortions or kidppings till now in any part of the valley.

The handout signed by him has clearly spelt out their position and objectives in order to remove any misgiving in the public. Significantly, from the statement of Chorkhy, it becomes clear that there has been clash of ego with Dhanyaram Reang and his style of functioning. This has prompted him to float Bru Revolutiory Army of Union and it is also apparent that he wants to establish his own area of supremacy.