AGARTALA, June 3 (TIWN): The identification process of ‘Bru’ refugees of Mizoram camping at Kanchanpur, Tripura for the past 18 years is to be started from Tuesday at Dhamcharra, under North District of Tripura. The process has begun in the presence of the representatives of Mizoram and the state govt. officials also remained present. The process would continue till June 5, informed a highly placed source of District Administration on Tuesday. The joint identification process started at Kaskau camp on Tuesday followed by repatriation from June 8.The identification process the ‘bru’ refugees was undertaken after a tripartite meeting held between the officials of Mizoram government, leaders of Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum (MBDPF) and officials of Tripura government on May 15 at the Damcherra Block Development office.The official source said to TIWN, “The first phase of the identification and registration process has began from Tuesday.” Adding to that he further said during the first phase no refugee has come for the registration, but the officials are expecting a response in the coming days.However after the identification process ends the concerned officials would send their findings report to the Mizoram Govt. and the state govt. here, said source.

At present there are at least three camps at Dhamcharra, North District. After the talks on speeding up the process of repatriation of the Mizoram Bru refugees living in Tripura, Mizoram for the first time agreed to take back all the Bru displaced persons residing in Tripura since 1997.

However the source also informed that the repatriation process would begin from June 8 and it would continue till June 12. The State Government of Mizoram will provide the vehicles for transportation of the Brus, while Tripura will provide security.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his recent visit to Tripura Kanchanpur assured that the “problems related to the repatriation of Bru will be resolved anyhow” and with proper security. Singh had also assured that “no discrimination will be allowed with the repatriated Bru’s in Mizoram soil”.

It is worthy to mention here that during the previous year around 300 refugees sheltered in Tripura since 1997; have returned to Mizoram whereas another large number of refugees who called themselves as ‘Bru’ refused to go back to Mizoram as their demands had not yet been fulfilled. They alleged that the Mizoram govt. had failed to fulfill their demands of separate autonomous body along with others.