GUWAHATI: The Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Forum has urged the Union ministry of home affairs to convene an urgent meeting of the joint monitoring group (JMG) at Kanchanpur in north Tripura before the scheduled commencement of repatriation of displaced Bru families to Mizoram from October 3.
In a letter to the special secretary (internal secretary), ministry of home affairs (MHA), the forum has appealed to convene the emergent JMG meeting where representatives of NGOs such as the Mizoram Bru Indigenous Democratic Movement, Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Coordination Committee, among others can participate to review the “simple and bottom line” demands of the forum.
“Otherwise, we would not be able to ensure that there will be fruitful repatriation as planned and all efforts for repatriation will go in vain. The inmates (of the seven relief camps in north Tripura) were not willing to return to Mizoram unless their basic needs for sustenance as human beings were fulfilled,” the forum stated in the letter to MHA.
The forum has been demanding re-arrangement of some rehabilitation centres such as Mamit, N. Sabual, Kawrtethawveng, Tuidam, Rengdil, Chhippui, Zawinuam Vengpui, Kanhmun, Pukzing, West Phaileng, Lallen, etc, given that there is insufficient land for human habitation.
Other demands include spot visits to identify sites for construction of houses, liberty to the displaced families to settle in any district (Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei), acceptance of all displaced Bru families and equal compensation to them and re-identification of 1281 families who did not turn up in the second phase of identification in July, 2019.
Besides, the forum demanded that some families rejected in the second phase of identification should also be reconsidered and given equal compensation.
“The demands are within the framework of the ‘Quadrilateral Agreement’ and have been accepted in the JMG meeting on September 10, 2018. Besides, the government of Mizoram had agreed upon the demands of the forum in principle and assured to take up follow-up action. But, it is unfortunate that the commitment by the Centre and the Mizoram government has become null and void today,” the forum stated in the letter to the MHA official.
The forum leaders had also met the Mizoram home minister on July 5, 2019 and submitted a memorandum on their demands to him and the chief minister as well. Thereafter, the forum along with other frontline Bru organizations had meetings with the home minister and department officials and the response to their demands has been positive.
It may be mentioned that the 5th JMG meeting was held on Septmber 6, 2019 in New Delhi and the forum had in pursuance of the decisions taken in the meeting conducted public meetings in the relief camps to inform inmates that the ration and cash doles would be discontinued with the commencement of repatriation and closure of the camps.