AGARTALA / NEW DELHI, June 21 (TIWN): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar met with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday at Delhi to discuss long pending Bru refugee repatriation crisis involving Mizoram Govt and refugee groups. Mizoram Govt ‘s lameduck attitude causing refugee repatriation difficult as Bru refugee leaders prefer to stay at peaceful Tripura rather than facing lawless Mizoram amidst communal violence. Two weeks back, Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, in-charge of Northeast in Home Ministry visited Kanchanpur refugee camp to take stock of ground situation and pursue two decades old Bru refugee repatriation to Mizoram in presence of Tripura and Mizoram Govt officials. Bru refugees turning violent as they burnt and damaged atleast 26 local’s homes at Kanchanpur on May 15, 2016 causing flare-up of communual riot in Kanchanpur Hilles. Tripura Govt. reportedly after the incident, asked the Central govt. and Mizoram Govt. to take initiatives for Brus repatriation as it causing internal clashes. However, after 20 days of the clash, the MHA Northeast India Division Joint Secretary Satendra Garg held meetings with Tripura and Mizoram Govt officials. Bru repatriation needs urgent solution as many Bru youths are forming Terrorist groups, and already two of the chief Bru refugee terrorist leaders are in Jail custody. Manik Sarkar spoke with Rajnath Singh to resolve this 19 yrs long pending crisis as earliest possible.

Earlier also central govt. tried to repatriate the Brus from Tripura, but due to lack of co-operation from the Mizo Govt. and Tripura Govt. the issue was lingering, which resulted in May 15’s incident.

It can be said that once the repartition of Brus  are done, the problem of Kanchapur will be diminished. But no one knows when as over 19 years already passed as Brus arrived Tripura in 1997.

The recent arson among Bru and Bengalies was followed suicide by a tribal man living in a refugee camp at Kanchanpur, 175 km north from Agartala, after he was allegedly beaten up by locals. Bhriguram Reang, 36, allegedly committed suicide, after he was beaten up by local Bengali people who accused him of catching fish from a pond without seeking permission from the owner. 

Bengali -Bru communual clash disturbing peace in Kachanpur, also costing Tripura Govt crores of rupees damage to maintain law & order situation.

After this violence, de-sheltered local Bengalis from homes, when the Bengali people had taken shelter in BBI school -Brus snached away all the cattles from the households. Govt. however, assured to give Bengalees back new cattles.

It’s worthy to mention here the refugees, (Reangs) who fled Mizoram in the wake of inter-community violence and are now housed in refugee camps in Tripura, heading towards uncertain future.

About 31,300 Reang tribals, who call themselves "Bru", have been living in seven makeshift camps in northern Tripura's Kanchanpur areas adjoining Mizoram for the past 19 years. They had fled after an ethnic violence in Mizoram following the killing of a Mizo forest officer at the Dampa Tiger Reserve.

Apart from Bru refugee repatriation, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh discussed  border security, infiltration from Bangladesh, State’s law & order situation.

Even though Manik Sarkar met Home Minister Rajnath Singh but CPI-M cadres continue beating State BJP supporters amid organized violence across Tripura.