Around 34,000 displaced Bru-Reang tribals from Mizoram, who have been living as refugees in Tripura since 1997, will permanently settle in Tripura and an agreement was signed in this effect on January 16.

The deal was signed by representatives of Bru, the central, Tripura and Mizoram governments in presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma besides Tripura royal scion Pradyot Deb Barman were present at the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the agreement to permanently settle Bru-Reang refugees in Tripura, saying it will greatly help them. “A special day indeed,” he tweeted. He also said the Bru-Reang refugees will benefit from numerous development schemes.

Who are Bru refugees?

Bru, also known as Reang, is a community living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. Reangs are the second largest tribal community of Tripura. They are recognised as one of the 75 primitive tribes in India. Their language is known as Kau Bru.

In 1997, following ethnic tension, as many as 5,000 families comprising around 30,000 Bru-Reang tribals were forced to flee Mizoram and seek shelter in Tripura. These people were housed in temporary camps at Kanchanpur in North Tripura.

Since 2010, the Centre has been making sustained efforts to permanently rehabilitate these refugees. The Union government has been assisting the two state governments for taking care of the refugees. Till 2014, 1,622 Bru-Reang families had returned to Mizoram in different batches.

On July 3, 2018, an agreement was signed between the Centre, the two state governments and representatives of Bru-Reang refugees, as a result of which the aid given to these families was increased substantially. Subsequently, 328 families comprising of 1,369 individuals returned to Mizoram under the agreement. There had been a sustained demand of most Bru-Reang families that they may be allowed to settle down in Tripura, considering their apprehensions about their security.

What are the key points of the agreement?

Around 34,000 Bru tribals will live in Tripura permanently.

Under the new arrangement, each of the displaced families would be given 40x30 sq ft residential plots, in addition to the aid under earlier agreement of a fixed deposit of Rs 4 lakh, Rs 5,000 cash aid per month for two years, free ration for two years and Rs 1.5 lakh aid to build a house. The Tripura government will provide land under this agreement.

Assam minister Sarma, who was a key person in hammering out a solution between the Bru people and the governments of Tripura and Mizoram, said the conflict resolution exercise has been going on in the Northeast region and the agreement was part of it.

What was the response to the agreement?

The Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) has welcomed the quadripartite agreement signed among the Centre, state governments of Tripura and Mizoram, and representatives of Bru to facilitate the permanent settlement of refugees in Tripura.

“We are happy with this agreement because it has allowed Bru migrants from Mizoram to permanently settle in Tripura. The Bru inmates, who are sheltered in six camps, would get all benefits of the package previously announced for repatriation to Mizoram,” said MBDPF president Apeto Sawibunga.

He said two other organisations - Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Coordination Committee and Mizoram Bru Indigenous Democratic Movement - apart from the MBDPF have signed the agreement.

However, a local civil society body of Kanchanpur comprising non-tribal members expressed its unhappiness over the agreement.

“We are not happy with the agreement because these Brus were responsible in many ways for damaging ethnic solidarity of tribals and non-tribals at Kanchanpur,” said Nagarik Suraksha Mancha president Ranjit Nath.

The group had organised a series of protests, including strikes and mass sit-in demonstrations, in the North Tripura district on 11-point demands, including the repatriation of Bru migrants to Mizoram.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store