Twin factors hold up refugee repatriation

Agartala, May 22 : The Mizoram government has begun the repatriation of Bru refugees from Tripura.

However, in the first phase, only 259 of the 564 families who fled to Tripura in November last year in the wake of atrocities committed by Mizo civilians, will be taken back.

As part of an understanding reached last Thursday, 78 vehicles were to take 154 families today.

But till 4pm, only 63 families were able to return from Naisingpara camp under Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura because of disruption caused by heavy pre-monsoon rain last night.

Official sources in Kanchanpur said efforts were on to send back at least 100 families before nightfall.

Kanchanpur sub-divisional officer Dilip Chakma said last Thursday, four state government officials headed by SDO (Kwartha) Benjamin Lalthama and BDO (Kwartha) Paul L. Khuama went to Kanchanpur and finalised the details of the repatriation process.

“We had pressed them for the repatriation of all 564 families that checked into the camps in November last year but they agreed to take back only 259 families whose credentials had been verified. The officials assured us that the repatriation will be completed in a phased manner,” Chakma said.

He added that the sub-divisional administration in Kanchanpur was facing lot of problems in keeping safe the 36,000 Reang refugees stranded in Tripura since October 15, 1997.

He said according to the agreement reached by the sub-divisional administration and Mizoram officials, 154 families were identified for repatriation but “bad weather and delayed paperwork” had resulted in the repatriation of only 63 families.

“We reached an understanding that on May 22, 50 families and on May 23, 55 families would be repatriated but since today’s quota is unlikely to be fulfilled, the process is expected to continue beyond May 23,” said Chakma.

Official sources here expressed satisfaction over the repatriation and said it would continue on a staggered schedule.

“It is a small beginning but the important thing is that the ice has been broken. We hope the process will continue though finishing it may take some time,” said S.K. Reang, the director of the relief and rehabilitation department.

He said despite pressure from the government of Tripura and the Union ministry of home affairs, the Mizoram government had always been reluctant to take back the refugees who had been forced to take shelter in Tripura following ethnic violence and attacks on them.

The issue was also raised at an international level by Bru (Reang) organisations and their sympathisers among rights activists.