Bru tribal women (locally called Reang tribe) hold banner at the entrance of Naisingpara camp protesting against repatriation process at Naisingpara refugee camp in north Tripura district of Tripura state on Tuesday. Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar.
Bru refugees (locally called Reang tribe) hold banner at the entrance of Naisingpara camp protesting against repatriation process at Naisingpara refugee camp in north Tripura district of Tripura on Tuesday. Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar.
The sixth phase repatriation of standard Reang refugees to Mizoram failed to kick off on Tuesday. Despite persuasion by Tripura government officials the refugees housed in makeshift camps refused to return unless Mizoram government fulfils their demands.
A senior government official in Agartala claimed 25 families managed to
return on the day, but they took a different route to evade opposition
from the camp mates. Some 35 thousand Reang or Bru displaced tribe
people are lodged in six camps in Kanchanpur since they left Mizoram in
1997 amid scale of ethnic violence.
About 459 families were expected to get back home in the sixth phase
repatriation schedule which was to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mizoram government opened a base camp to receive returnees prelude to
their rehabilitation in their original villages under a union home
ministry aided rehabilitation package.
Refugees staged protests since morning outside their camps against the
repatriation without conceding demands some of which are political in
nature. The repatriation in the past five phases had also faced hurdles
and only few hundred returned home so far.
The leaders of Reang refugees have also objected to the presence of Mizo
student leaders in Zomuantlang and Kanhmun facilitation centres to
verify repatriated Brus. Mizo student groups and social forums have
warned Mizoram government against providing free access to Reangs
without proper authentication.
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