Published 15:37 IST, January 19th 2020
'It's a lasting solution': Swaraj Kaushal hails Bru refugee pact
Former Governor of Mizoram Swaraj Kaushal hailed the repatriation agreement to resettle 34,000 Bru refugees in Tripura and said that it is a lasting arrangement
Hailing the repatriation agreement to resettle around 34,000 Bru refugees in Tripura, former Governor of Mizoram Swaraj Kaushal on Sunday said that it is a lasting arrangement. He added that this agreement, signed between the Centre, the governments of Tripura and Mizoram and Bru-Reang representatives, indicates the country’s commitment to national security. Furthermore, he said that the conditions were not habitable inside the camps and the refugees will now lead their lives with dignity.
Swaraj Kaushal of resettling Bru refugees
Swaraj Kaushal, while heaping praises on the initiative, said, "This agreement is a solution, one that is going to last. It's so important. There are so much of good intentions behind this."
"The Bru people have been in camps for more than 23 years. The agreement is to settle them permanently so that they lead a life of dignity. In the camps, everything is missing," he said.
"All these years, Delhi has been too far from the North-East and the North-East has been far too remote from it. The Reangs are Indian citizens. Look at their strategical location. The total population is about two lakh. One lakh Reangs are there in Tripura and nearly 65,000 in Mizoram. These 65,000 Bru refugees are all along the border, then with East Pakistan and now Bangladesh," said Kaushal who has served as the Governor of Mizoram between 1990 and 1993.
"They are all along the rivers and Indo-Bangladesh border. The fact is that Reangs are one of those tribes, which is your first line of defence. You cannot ignore this. I am happy that the government thought of this," he further said.
On Thursday, the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah presided over the agreement signing between Centre, Tripura, Mizoram and Bru-Reang representatives. As per this agreement, around 34,000 internally displaced people will be settled in Tripura. Shah said that around 34,000 Bru refugees will be settled in Tripura under the new agreement and the state would be given a package of around Rs 600 crore for their rehabilitation. Also, the refugees would now get the rights that the citizens of the state get.
Tripura and Mizoram CMs on signing the agreement
The Chief Ministers of Tripura and Mizoram Biplab Kumar Deb and Zoramthanga were also present during the signing of the agreement. “I want to thank Narendra Modiji and Amit Shahji for ending this crisis. Nobody was ready to think about the future of Bru refugees. This step is historic,” said CM Biplab Dev.
North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) chief Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was also present, said the Bru refugees will enjoy all the facilities. Zoramthanga had said the pact will permanently solve the 25-year-old "burning issue." "Today we have signed an important agreement with Bru leaders and the Government of Tripura and the Government of Mizoram. This will permanently solve the burning issue that has been going on for 25 years," he said.
The Bru Refugees
Ethnically different from Mizos, with their own distinct language and dialect, the Brus are spread across Tripura, Mizoram, and parts of southern Assam. Earlier, they had demanded an Autonomous District Council (ADC), under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, in western Mizoram. In 1997, they had to flee to Tripura from Mizoram. At least, 5,000 families comprising around 30,000 Bru tribals were forced to leave the state.
Centre has been making efforts to rehabilitate these refugees since 2010. The Centre has been assisting the governments of Mizoram and Tripura for taking the care of the refugees. Till 2014, 1,622 Bru families returned to Mizoram in different batches.
The aid provided to these families was increased substantially, in July 209=18 after an agreement was signed between two states, Centre representatives of Bru refugees. Following this development, at least 328 families comprising of 1,369 individuals returned to Mizoram under the 2018 agreement. However, owing to security concerns, there has been a consisted demand from the Bru families to resettle in Tripura since then.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 15:37 IST, January 19th 2020