Bru tribal families resume returning to Mizoram

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Nava Thakuria

12 April, 2011

Hundreds of bru tribal families living in northern Tripura will be repatriated to Mizoram soon. These families belong to the makeshift camps of Naisinghpara, where a devastating fire took place on March 19, last.

HUNDREDS OF Bru (also known as Riyang) tribal families, taking shelter in northern Tripura, are set to return to Mizoram, bordering Bangladesh and Burma. The selected families to get repatriated mostly belong to those affected in a devastating fire in the makeshift camps of Naisingpara in Kanchanpuri sub division of Tripura on March 19 last. Thousands of inmates were affected by the fire including 17 persons were charred to death.

“Altogether 142 Bru families consisting of 592 adults and 155 minors will be repatriated to Mizoram on April 12,” informed Suhas Chakma, a pro-active human right activist, who has been acting as an interlocutor between the Brus and the governments.

The director of Asian Centre for Human Rights, Chakma also informed that these returnee families will be resettled in five villages in Mamit district of Mizoram, respectively 49 families at Damdial, 33 families at Khanthuam, 16 families at Bawngva, 22 families at Damparengpui and 22 families at Tuipuibari.

The repatriation of Brus who sought shelter in Tripura in 1997 was suspended in November 2010 following protest by the Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum. The ACHR director Chakma facilitated a dialogue between the pro and anti-repatriation factions of the displaced Brus in December 2010.

Soon the Kanchapur Agreement surfaced and besides the two States (Tripura and Mizoram), the Union Home Ministry of India was also involved in the process. Earlier R R Jha, joint secretary (Northeast) of Indian Union Home Ministry in an official letter dated 5 January 2011 informed the ACHR director that apart from Rs 80,000 cash assistance to each Bru family, one year free ration will be provided.

“There are about 30,000 remaining Bru internally displaced families (from Mizoram) in the camps. The Brus have been living in miserable conditions in relief camps in Tripura for 13 years and hence the resumption of repatriation is welcome. However, the Mizoram government (with Union Home ministry) must ensure that these returnee Brus are immediately resettled at the villages identified,” added Chakma.

Speaking to this scribe from New Delhi, Chakma expressed optimism that if all the stakeholders (the Brus, Mizoram State government and Indian Union government) remain committed there should not be any further obstacles in process. The young rights activist believes that "if repatriation of all the Brus is completed, this would constitute the largest repatriation of displaced persons in the world facilitated by a non-governmental organisation."