Bru refugees urge new Mizoram CM to solve their problem

The umbrella organisation of the 35,000 odd Bru refugees living in Tripura on Tuesday appealed to new Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga to take initiative for solving the 22-year-old problem of the displaced people.

The Bru refugees are living in six relief camps at Kanchanpur sub-division in North Tripura district since 1997.

In a letter to Zoramthanga, Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) general secretary Bruno Msha asked the chief minister to give audience to the MBDPF leaders on the issue in Delhi or Aizawl.

As the chief minister is currently visiting New Delhi, Msha informed Zoramthanga that A Sawibunga and R Laldawngliana, MBDPF president and vice president respectively, and he would be in the national capital till Wednesday.

He expressed hope that the new state government would soon convene a meeting with Bru leaders to deliberate the issues of repatriation and rehabilitation of the displaced Brus lodged in the relief camps in North Tripura district.

Mizo National Front president Zoramthanga was swron in as chief minister on December 15. His government succeeded the 10-year regime of the Congress.

Thousands of Bru refugees from Mizoram fled to Tripura during an ethnic violence in 1997. The clashes broke out after a forest official was killed by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants.

The Centre, in association with the governments of Mizoram and Tripura, was repatriating the displaced Brus in phases.

Though several Bru families have returned to Mizoram over the years, many refused to leave Tripura citing security reasons and inadequate package.

During the latest repatriation process between August 25 to September 25 last year, only 150 refugees of 42 families returned to Mizoram.

Msha asked the chief minister to give top priority to the Bru issue so that all the communities in the state could live with dignity and honour.