Repatriation of Brus To Be Discontinued: Mizoram Minister

Aizawl, Jun 24 : The sixth phase of repatriation of Bru people, lodged in six relief camps in neighbouring North Tripura commenced from June 17 last, will be discontinued for the time being, Mizoram home minister R Lalzirliana said today.

The state government would hold consultations with Union Home Ministry and Tripura before resumption of the repatriation process, Lalzirliana told reporters.

The last phase of repatriation was not very successful due to sustained opposition and physical obstruction from anti-repatriation elements in the relief camps.

Altogether, 886 Brus belonging to 173 families returned to Mizoram during the five-day repatriation last week while the state government planned to repatriate 659 families during the period.

Mizoram-Tripura border Mamit-based Bru Coordination Committee chairman Elvis Chorkhy said that those who were willing to return to Mizoram were threatened and obstructed by some people resulting in many of them unable or too afraid to be repatriated.

Joint NGO leaders at relief camps and Bru leaders like A Sawibunga, president of Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), however, claimed that the Bru people, did not want to return to Mizoram unless their demands were met.

The MBDPF has been demanding, among other things that the rehabilitation and resettlement package should be increased from Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per family and that the free ration to be provided to the repatriated families should be extended from one year to two years.