Rs 600-crore package to end 23-year-old Bru crisis in Tripura

Nearly 34,000 displaced Brus living in Tripura since 1997 got relief with the Centre on Thursday signing an agreement for their settlement in the state instead of sending them back to neighbouring Mizoram.

Home minister Amit Shah, who presided over the meeting for signing of the agreement announced a Rs. 600 package to Tripura government for their rehabilitation.

Around 5,000 families, comprising around 30,000 people of Bru or Reang tribe had fled Mizoram in 1997 following an ethnic conflict. They have been living in six relief camps in Kanchanpur sub-division in Tripura North district since then. The Centre, Tripura, Mizoram had signed a similar agreement in June 2018 with the leaders of the community for their repatriation but many refused to go back citing security concerns.

Shah said that under the new arrangement, each displaced families would be given 40x30 sq.ft. residential plots, in addition to the aid under an earlier agreement of a fixed deposit of Rs. 4 lakhs, Rs. 5,000 cash aid per month for two years, free ration for two years and Rs. 1.5 lakhs aid to build their house. The government of Tripura would provide the land under this agreement.

"These people would get all the rights that normal residents of the states get and they would now be able to enjoy the benefits of social welfare schemes of Centre and state governments. The settlement has been reached after detailed discussions held by Union government with Mizoram and Tripura government and the representatives of Bru tribes," a statement quoting Shah said.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP leader from Assam and Chairman, North East Democratic Alliance, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chairman, TIPRA and Tripura's royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, representatives of Bru tribes, along with senior officers attended the meeting.

Debbarma had first raised the demand that Brus be rehabilitated in Tripura instead of forcing them to go back to Mizoram. The demand came after at least six camp inmates died after Tripura government stopped ration supply to the camp in November last year as they refused to go to Mizoram.

Till 2014, 1622 Bru-Reang families returned to Mizoram in different batches. Another 328 families returned to Mizoram as per the agreement signed in June 2018 but most others refused to go back.

The statement, however, did not mention on whether those who had returned to Mizoram would come back to Tripura.