Bru (Reang) families from western Mizoram migrated to northern Tripura
Humans of Displacement: A 25 Year long Wait for Brus of Mizoram Continues. Due to attack on minority Reang tribes by Mizo villagers, a number of Bru (Reang) families migrated to Tripura from October 1997 onwards
Guwahati: At least 3696 Bru families have been resettled in Tripura so far, said the Centre. Union home minister Amit Shah reviewed the implementation of Bru agreement with chief minister Tripura in Delhi along with senior officers of central and state government.
“Significant achievement has been made in the resettlement of Bru people displaced from Mizoram in Tripura since the signing of agreement in January 2020,” said the union home ministry in an official statement.
On Tuesday, Shah accepted the Tripura government’s proposal and gave in-principle approval for extension of timeline for completion of resettlement process and to continue extending financial assistance to the Bru families.
The resettlement of the Brus was scheduled to be completed by 2022.
An official source said, as per a quadripartite agreement signed between the Centre, governments of Tripura and Mizoram and Bru leaders, the process was underway to resettle total 37,136 Bru people of 6,959 families from seven relief camps in north Tripura district to 12 new locations as identified by the Tripura government.
The twelve identified locations were- Bongaphapara (L.T. Valley) and Haduklaupara (Ambassa) in Dhalai district, Kaskau (in-situ) of Ambassa and Wainbukcherra- Ranipara of Panisagar in North Tripura, West Kalajhari (Amarpur) in Gomati, Bhandarima- Pushporampara of Kanchanpur, Hamsapara (in-situ) and Khakchang (in-situ) of Panisagar in North Tripura, Ultacherra of Gandacherra in Dhalai district, Gachirampara of Kanchanpur in North Tripura, Shilacherra of Karbook in Gomati and Kala Lawgang of Santirbazar in South Tripura.
The agreement also provided a comprehensive package for each family being rehabilitated. The resettlement of the rest of the Bru families was in the process of resettlement, added an official statement from home ministry.
House construction completed for 2407 families so far besides those under construction. Various certificates like PRTC, ST Certificates, Aadhaar card inclusion of names in the Electoral Rolls were being issued for the resettled Bru families.
Why Brus were displaced within the country:
Due to attack on minority Reang tribes by Mizo villagers, a number of Bru (Reang) families from western Mizoram migrated to northern Tripura from October 1997 onwards. They were sheltered in six relief camps set up in Kanchanpur district of Tripura.
The Ministry of Home Affairs have been extending grants-in-aid to the Mizoram government for rehabilitation/resettlement of Brus and to government of Tripura for maintenance of Brus lodged in various relief camps.
As a result of regular follow-up by home ministry, the repatriation process of Bru (Reang) refugees started in November, 2010 and continued up to May/June, 2011 (in three batches). As a result, approx 800 families (about 4,000 members) have since been repatriated to Mizoram upto June, 2011 which includes self-repatriation.
This was in addition to repatriation of approx 459 Bru families displaced from Mizoram and Tripura due to incidences of violence in November, 2009.
Thereafter, further repatriation was stopped due to protest by certain Mizo NGOs demanding rehabilitation of around 83 Mizo families reportedly displaced from Sakhan hills of north Tripura ( where they were originally settled) by some Brus of Mizoram staying in Tripura.
The displaced Mizos of Sakhan hills of North Tripura were demanding adequate rehabilitation package in a similar manner as is being given to the displace Mizoram Brus. However, the matter of Sakhan Mizos has been amicably resolved by disbursing a rehabilitation package of Rs.1.50 lakh, in July, 2012, to each of the 83 displaced Mizo families of Sakhan Hills of north Tripura.
Subsequently, in January 16, 2020, a final quadripartite pact was signed by the governments of Tripura and Mizoram, along with the Centre and Bru organisations to settle around 32,000 Brus in Tripura permanently.
