Sunday, November 22, 2020

The Bru-Reang Resettlement and Agitation in Tripura.

Why in the news?

A four party agreement between the centre, Mizoram government, Tripura government and Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) which seeks to end the 22-year-old Bru refugee crisis was signed earlier this year.

Background

* Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northest India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

* In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that do not consider them indigenous to the state in 1997, following ethnic clashes, nearly 37,000 Brus fled Monnit, Kolasib and Linglei districts of Mizoram and were accommodated in relief camps in Tripura.

* In Jun 2018, community leaders from the Bru camps signed an agreement with the Centre and the two state governments, providing for repatriation in Mizoram. But most camp residents rejected the terms of the agreement. 

* The camp residents said that the agreement didn't guarantee their safety in Mizoram. 

The new agreement

* According to the 2018 agreement, the Bru tribals would have settled in Mizoram but according to the new agreement, they will now settle in Tripura.

* A package of Rs.600 crores from the centre which includes :-

* Plots of 2,500 sq ft for each Bru family in addition to agricultural land * A stipend of Rs.5,000 per month and free rations for each family for the next two years * Bru tribals would be included in Tripura's voter list.

The current agitation

* Several local organisations under the Joint Movement Committee (JMC) are protesting against the resettlement of Bru-Reang refugees in Kanchanpur.

* Clashes broke out between Tripura police officials and locals of Dalubari village of north Tripura district over the proposed rehabilitation. Protesters set fire to vehicles and blocked the national highway.

* The JMC is demanding that the state government resettle the members of the displaced community equally among Tripura's eight districts.


Tailpiece.

Got up about half an hour later than our usual time, being a Sunday, the chores and was ready by 1000 hrs. It was a quiet Sunday.

Conference call between my sisters and their families. A quiet day otherwise!


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