Fulfil our demands else we won’t go back to Mizoram: Bru refugees

Guwahati (Assam), September 25, 2018:

Bru (Reang) refugees, who were to be repatriated to Mizoram from relief camps in neighbouring Tripura, said they would not move unless their demands were met with.

Tuesday was the last day for their repatriation. The Centre had earlier warned that it would stop giving free ration to the refugees from October if they do not leave for Mizoram.

Over the past one month, only 24 families went back to Mizoram out of over 32,000 refugees.

The demands of the refugees are the creation of an area development council for the Brus in Mizoram, their settlement in cluster villages with each housing at least 500 families, allocation of five hectares of land to each refugee family, Rs.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.

“We are not going to leave the relief camps unless the demands are met with. And if the Centre stops giving us ration and other facilities then we will launch a movement,” warned Laldingliana Reang, leader of Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Coordination Committee (MBDPCC).

The refugees had fled Mizoram in 1997 following an ethnic riot between Brus and Mizos.