Leaders of the Mizoram Bru refugees have demanded commencement of their permanent rehabilitation in Tripura in the light of the quadripartite agreement signed in New Delhi in January. They made the demand during a meeting with Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar in the presence of the State’s royal scion and activist Pradyot Kishore Debbarman.
Who are the Brus, and what are the implications of settling them in Tripura?
“We have urged the Chief Secretary to start our settlement work within two weeks,” one of the Bru leaders told newsmen on Tuesday. He said the rehabilitation process was already delayed by six months due to the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ).
Mr. Debbarman, who played a key role in the signing of the pact, discussed the issue with Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb. He expressed displeasure over the delay in the rehabilitation work.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had presided over the signing of the accord by the MHA with the State governments of Mizoram, Tripura and the leaders of the refugees to permanently settle some 35,000 evacuees in Tripura.
Bru refugee rehabilitation work gains force in Tripura
Officials said the State government had selected 12 places including the Kanchanpur subdivision in north Tripura where the Brus have been housed in six makeshift camps since 1997. However, the decision to settle some of the refugees is facing protests from a local forum called Joint Movement.
Indefinite strike
The Joint Movement has enforced an indefinite strike in Kanchanpur from Monday to press the State government to give up plans to rehabilitate the Brus in the area.
Mr. Manoj Kumar reportedly told the Bru leaders that the State government was waiting for final approval from the MHA on selected sites. He also held a video conference with the North Tripura District Magistrate and Kanchanpur Sub Divisional Magistrate to enquire about the situation.
34,000 Bru refugees to be settled in Tripura
Mr. Deb has assured to expedite the rehabilitation process. “We have already taken a decision to implement the quadripartite agreement and the package offered to the Brus,” he told newsmen.
He said the work has been delayed due to the pandemic. “We are trying to settle the displaced Brus within the next two months.”
