GUWAHATI: Various Bru organisations spearheaded by the Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Forum have threatened a series of agitation from February 13 in protest against pending cash doles and irregular distribution of ration among displaced people from the community currently housed in seven camps of north Tripura.
The organisations on Thursday submitted memoranda to the Union home ministry and the National Human Rights Commission through the sub-divisional magistrate, Kanchanpur (North Tripura), demanding cash doles, pending for the past three months, besides other relief.
It may be noted that the Centre had extended ration supply and cash doles for the displaced Bru people to March this year.
“However, we are yet to receive the cash doles since November last year. Supply of monthly ration too has been irregular since September last year while the Puja garments of October last year too have not been distributed. So, we have appealed to the centre to release the funds for the said relief or else we would be compelled to protest,” Bruno Msha, the general secretary of the forum, told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
The organisations have lined up a mass rally from Naisingpara to Dasda RD Block on February 13, a sit-in demonstration at sub-divisional magistrate’s office from February 18 to 20, road blockade from Kanchanpur to Anandabazar main road and Damcherra to Khedacherra road on February 26, postering campaign on March 5, among other programmes.
Over 32,000 people and 5000 families from the community are currently living in seven camps in north Tripura.
Msha said the camp inmates were facing immense hardships and unable to manage two square meals a day. “Some have fallen sick with no medical treatment owing to financial constraint,” he said.
“The Tripura government has stated that it was helpless in this regard as the fund for the relief has not yet been released and that crores already spent so far are yet to be reimbursed,” Msha said.
The forum, as a partner in a quadrilateral agreement (between the Centre, Tripura and Mizoram governments) signed on July 3 last year, has been pressing for implementation of the repatriation process since the inception of the agreement.