Bengali Organization Opposes Settlement of Brus in Tripura

Agartala, January 24, 2020:

Simmering tension is brewing in Dasda Kanchanpur area since the signing of the quadripartite agreement in New Delhi for the settlement of over 30,000 Brus in Tripura.

Of late, the situation has become increasingly volatile as the Nagarik Suraksha Mancha, a citizens’ forum against the permanent settlement of the Mizoram Brus in Tripura, has launched a massive protest against the agreement.

ALSO READ: 24-Hour ‘Bandh’ Called in Dima Hasao & Karbi Anglong on Jan 25

Putting forth their agenda, the organization held a massive public meeting at Dasda Durga Reang Para on Thursday and observed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday as 'Desh Prem Divas'.

Among the notable speakers were Advocate Chandan Dey from Rashtriya Satkatha Samaj and Kaushik Maiti of Bangla Pakshya Kolkata. Ranjit Nath, president of the Nagarik Suraksha Mancha, presided over the meeting.

The organization placed an 11-point charter of demands. The major demand of the Bengali organization was to send the Bru refugees back to their original land in Mizoram.

Speaking over phone to this newspaper, Ranjit Nath said, "In the recent strike called by Joint movement committee of the refugees, altogether 92 families have been displaced. Houses were ransacked, properties were set on fire and cattle were stolen. All those families had taken shelter at Anandabazar police camp. This recent displacement of about 450 people had added up the figures to 6,000 such displaced Bengali people over the year -- since the time refugees took shelter in the refugee camps."

ALSO READ: ‘Dimasa National Liberation Army’ Condemns “Anti-Indigenous’ CAA

He also claimed that the recent decision taken in New Delhi to settle the Brus in Tripura instead of sending them back to Mizoram would affect the entire demographic balance of the area and adjoining constituencies.

“If the refugees are settled here as per the pact singed in New Delhi, all of the 35,000 refugees will be spread out in the adjoining constituencies resulting in a new problem— many of the general constituencies will turn into reserved constituencies. The only solution to this problem is to send them back to Mizoram according to the four-corner agreement signed in March 2018” Nath added.

Apart from this, adequate security arrangements, settlement package for Bengali displaced people and many more made space in the demand draft.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.