Brus to decide on returning to Mizoram

The tribals displaced by ethnic violence have been staying in relief camps in adjoining Tripura

Brus, the tribal community displaced by ethnic violence in Mizoram two decades ago, will soon decide whether or not to return to their villages from relief camps in adjoining Tripura.

The Centre is planning to close down the relief camps in October after completing the ninth and final round of repatriation by September, for which the Mizoram government is expected to begin the process of re-identification of the refugees from Wednesday.

Of the more than 40,000 Brus — also known as Reangs — who fled two rounds of ethnic violence in Mizoram since 1997, about 32,850 have stayed back in six relief camps in Tripura.

“Our leaders and advisors will be meeting soon to decide whether the situation is safe enough for us to go back to Mizoram,” said Laldingliana, leader of the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Coordination Committee.

The Joint Monitoring Group on Bru Repatriation had discussed the issue of repatriation in New Delhi on June 28. Leaders of the rival Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum attended the meeting with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and governments of Mizoram and Tripura.

“The Central government has not yet intimated to our organisation on the proposed final repatriation,” Mr Laldingliana said.

A Mizoram government official said the refugees who return will be provided free ration and ₹5,000 a month per family for two years.

The refugees who have spurned the repatriation offer said they would leave the relief camps only if the government fulfilled their demands. They include the creation of a development council for the Brus in Mizoram, allocation of five hectares of land to each refugee family, their settlement in cluster villages with each housing at least 500 families, ₹4 lakh compensation to each family before repatriation, revision of electoral rolls, identification of 1,000 left out families and general amnesty to the refugees.

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