AIZAWL, May 15 � Although all arrangements have been made for the repatriation of Bru refugees, they have refused to return to Mizoram. Till 3 pm today not a single Bru had returned to Mizoram from Tripura. As per the agreement made earlier betwen the Governments of Mizoram and Tripura, May 14 (Monday) was slated for Bru repatriation.
There are altogether 147 Bru families from Kaskau Refugee Camp in Tripura.
Aditional deputy commissioner of Mizoram�s Mamit district, RS Lalzamliana said two officers have been sent to the refugee camp yesterday for ground preparation. As usual, Kanchanpur sub-divisional magistrate arranged transport for the refugees to proceed to their new re-settlement sites in Mizoram and other officers were also being sent to the facilitation centre in Kanhmun to receive the refugees yesterday.
Meanwhile, major voluntary organisations of Mizoram asked genuine Mizoram Brus to return to the State as per repatriation plan made by the Centre, Mizoram and Tripura Governments.
In a press release issued after the joint meeting held in Central Young Mizo Association (YMA) office yesterday, Central YMA, MZP, MUP and MHIP made fervent appeals to the Bru refugees to return to Mizoram.
The meeting also discussed individual land holdings within Assam Rifles land in the heart of Aizawl town and asked all the LSC and Pass holders to return their documents to the authority without delay.
Meanwhile, NGOs Joint Committee of Mizoram convened a meeting yesterday at Central YMA Committee room, in which the NGOs stated that they want the Bru refugees, who are genuine citizens of Mizoram, to return to their home State as the government has arranged for them accordingly.
It is pertinent to note that hundreds of Brus left Mizoram in 1997 and 2009. The first case was triggered when Bru militants murdered two Mizos who were forest guards on October 21, 1997. The second case happened after a 17-year-old Mizo boy was killed by the Brus near Bungthuam village on November 13, 2009.
Meanwhile, a recent head count conducted by the MBDPF found that there have been 31,703 Brus in the relief camps belonging to 5,448 families who are bonafide residents of Mizoram.
The repatriation of the 1997 batch of Bru refugees was underway until it was stalled by the November 13 killing.
