If every thing will go well, then the repatriation of 32000 Bru families will start from March 2018, says home department of Mizoram Govt.
Aizawl
Mizoram government has started preparation to repatriate over 32,000 Bru people from six relief camps in neighbouring Tripura from the first week of March, additional secretary to state home department Lalbiakzama today said.
The Centre has released Rs 7.9 crore as first instalment for the repatriation expenditure, while the state government estimated that over Rs 123 crore would be required for the purpose, he said.
“Physical repatriation can only begin after the identification of those who wanted to be repatriated,” Lalbiakzama told media.
An inspection team comprising officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Mizoram government would visit the relief camps in February to identify the Brus who are willing to return to Mizoram and those who are not.
It must be noted that thousands of Brus fled Mizoram and migrated to Tripura after the Bru militants killed a forest guard inside the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997. The Mizoram Government’s first effort to repatriate Bru families in November 16, 2009 not only revoked due to the murder of a Mizo youth by Bru militants near Tripura border Bungthuam village three days just before the commencement of the repatriation, but also triggered another wave of the exodus.
Though a number of families have already returned to Mizoram during the government-sponsored repatriation process and also on their own will, still, thousands of the Bru families remained in the Tripura relief camps making several fresh demands and conditions for their return.
