Our Bureau
AGARTALA, June 29 2020: Despite protests, a forum representing civil society demanded implementation of quadripartite pact to permanently settle Bru refugees in Tripura. Joint Action Committee of Civil Society (JACCS) demanded that the state government should also ensure settlement of evacuees in Kanchanpur where local residents at large are staging protests against rehabilitation plan.
Leaders of the JACCS, a coalition of indigenous forums, urged the government to accelerate rehabilitation process and implement conditions of the agreement signed in New Delhi on January 16 last in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Some 35,000 Bru or Reang refugees are housed in six makeshift camps in Kanchanpur since 1997 after influx started amid ethnic tension in neighbouring Mizoram.
Long stalemate amid failures of several repatriation attempts finally ended up with signing of a quadripartite agreement at New Delhi.
“A critical issue of the north-east has been settled with the help of the Tripura and Mizoram governments”, Union home minister Amit Shah had said after signing of the accord.
MHA will bear whole expenditure towards settlement of the evacuees and other benefits assured in the agreement. Each refugee family would get a plot of land, rations, fixed deposit of 4 lakh and a monthly stipend of 5000 for two years.
In addition they will also be provided 1.5 lakh each to construct houses. The agreement debars refugees from claiming rights in Mizoram and made them citizens of Tripura.
Tripura government has selected twenty places for scattered rehabilitation of the refugees. One of the places falls in Kanchanpur - scene of current protest.
Protesting organisations in Kanchanpur argued that local residents have had suffered immensely from economic engagements to land rights to law & order problem during years of stay of the refugees in the area. Hence they are demanding their settlement beyond Kanchanpur.
State government sources said different places selected for rehabilitation of the refugees and if Kanchanpur is omitted than similar protest would erupt elsewhere thus creating a mess in the whole process.