Tripura district erupts over Reang refugee rehabilitation plan

A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA: The government's move to rehabilitate Reang refugees in Tripura has created an adverse impact in Kanchanpur as the people are preparing to oppose it.

The Kanchanpur Nagarik Suraksha Manch and the Jampui Hills Mizo Convention have protested against any move to rehabilitate the Reang refugees in their sub-division. Both the organizations held a meeting of their respective committees on Thursday immediately after the report about the government's move to rehabilitate them in Kanchanpur and some other sub-divisions came to light.

The leaders of the Nagarik Suraksha Manch also held a press conference maintaining social distance condemned the government move to rehabilitate Reang refugees in five ADC villages of the sub-division keeping the people of Kanchanpur in dark.

On Wednesday the SDM held a meeting with the leaders of the five refugee camps and finalized a programme to visit 12 proposed sites where they will be rehabilitated. Immediately after the report has come into open, people started opposing it.

Ranjit Kumar Nath and Diptanu Nath, president and secretary of the Suraksha Manch respectively demanded that the proposed tour programme must be stopped immediately or the administration will face the consequence. They also threatened to paralyze the life if the government proceed with their plan to visit the proposed sites from May 4.

Over 36,000 Reang refugees crossed over to Tripura in 1997 and are staying in seven camps. Recently, the central government decided to rehabilitate them in Tripura that was severely opposed by the local people of Kanchanpur.