Agartala: The resettlement process for displaced Bru people has started, a whole year after a quadripartite agreement ended a two-decade-old crisis by announcing that Bru people can stay on permanently in Tripura.
More than 37,000 people belonging to the Bru tribe have been staying in the six relief camps of two sub-divisions – Kanchanpur and Panisagar of North district in Tripura – since they fled Mizoram in 1997 following ethnic clashes between Bru and Mizo communities.
Since 2009, at least 5,000 Brus have returned to Mizoram in the ninth phase of repatriation.
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.
A bus transporting Bru people from camps to their permanent settlements is flagged off. Photo: Tanmoy Chakraborty
According to the pact, every Bru family would get a 40×30-feet plot to build a house, a fixed deposit amount of Rs 4 lakh, financial aid of Rs 5,000 per month, along with free rations for the next two years. To build a house, an amount of Rs 1.5 lakh will also be provided to every family.
The BJP-led Tripura government has now begun the process to settle Bru people permanently, a year and three months after the pact.
Speaking with The Wire, Kanchanpur sub-divisional magistrate Chandni Chandran said that a total of 493 members from 426 Bru families have left relief camps to build permanent residences at two locations – Haduklau and Bongofapara in Dhalai district – in the first batch. Of them, 202 went to Bongofapara and the rest went to Haduklau on Monday, April 19. The government arranged 14 buses for them.
A bus transporting Bru people from camps to their permanent settlements. Photo: Tanmoy Chakraborty
Chandran said these families had earlier been housed at three camps at Hezacherra, Ashapara and Naisingpara of Kanchanpur sub-division.
The Kanchanpur sub-division has witnessed violent protests against the settlement of Bru people in the region. Two persons including a fireman were killed and many were injured amidst anti-Bru protests last year.
A total of 16 locations have been identified in Tripura to settle in Brus permanently, she added.
“These include sites in Khowai, Sepahijala, North, Dhalai and Gomati district. Those who have already left were given a temporary makeshift house with water and rations. More families are expected to shift to permanent locations in the second batch on Thursday,” Chandran said.
She also said that the administration had already completed the Aadhaar enrolment process for Bru migrants.
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also took to Twitter, saying that Tripura has “fulfilled another dream” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
मुझे खुशी है कि त्रिपुरा ने पीएम श्री @narendramodi जी के एक और सपने को तय समय पर साकार किया है।
कंचनपुर से 426 ब्रू परिवारों को धलाई में बने स्थाई ठिकानों में ले जाने के साथ ही 23 वर्षों से निर्वासित जीवन गुजार रहे ब्रू जनजातियों को त्रिपुरा में बसाने की प्रक्रिया आज़ शुरु हो गई pic.twitter.com/5370jY08wn— Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) April 19, 2021