A QUADRIPARTITE agreement was signed in New Delhi on January 16, 2020, for permanent settlement of Bru or Reang refugees, who were ousted from Mizoram and took shelter in different camps in Tripura. The four parties of the agreement are the union government, Mizoram government, Tripura government and leaders of the Reang refugees. The meeting for signing the agreement was presided over by the union home minister and the chief ministers of the two states and refugee leaders.

As per the agreement, near about 35,000 Reang refugees will be permanently rehabilitated in Tripura and each family will be provided with a 40X30-sq ft plot, Rs 1.5 lakh for house construction, free ration along with Rs 5,000 monthly cash aid for two years and fixed deposit of Rs 4 lakh.

Different news outlets described the pact as “historic”, “landmark”, “milestone”, etc. and highlighted it as a great success of the central government in solving the 23-year-old crisis of Reang refugees. But many people in Tripura don’t see the agreement as a success of the central government in spite of their support to it. On the contrary the agreement will remain as a precedent of utter failure of the central government in protecting the legitimate rights of the Reang refugees of the state of Mizoram.

Nobody can deny the truth that all the Reang refugees who have been living in different camps in Kanchanpur Sub-division in Tripura are Indian citizens. They were voters in Mizoram in the last parliamentary election too. Like other Indian citizens, they have every right to live in their ancestral land or territory. This right is universally recognised as human right of the indigenous population. The ancestral lands of the Reang refugees are in Mamit, Kolaship and Lunglei districts in Mizoram. They had been living there from time immemorial. In 1977, ethnic clash between Mizo and Reang communities took place. The then Mizoram government failed to provide security to the minority Reangs. So, they had to flee from Mizoram and take shelter in neighbouring Tripura. From very beginning, the main demand of the Reang refugees to the central government was arrangement of their repatriation to their own land in Mizoram with full security. They had been demanding repatriation for more than 22 years. Even a couple of months before the signing of the agreements, their demand was repatriation to Mizoram with security and dignity. It is the responsibility and duty of the State viz. central government to protect the rights of the refugees. But the central government failed to protect and establish their rights in Mizoram. Now, being failure in 23 years they have agreed to the pact for which the refugees lost their rights in Mizoram forever. Therefore, it is not success of the central government but the success of the communal section of the Mizo people who wanted to drive out the Reangs from Mizoram.

Six months have already elapsed after signing of the agreement in New Delhi. But the lands for rehabilitation have not yet been identified and finalised though it was said that it would be done within two months. Besides, new problems have emerged before the process of rehabilitation. ‘Nagarik Suraksha Manch’, an organisation of non-tribal people, is launching a movement against the settlement of Reang refugees in Kanchanpur sub-division where the refugees have been living in camps from beginning. The Manch is organizing mass rallies, sit-in demonstration, relay hunger strike, etc. in Kanchanpur. Another organisation, Mizo Convention of the Mizo community, is also opposing to Reang refugee settlement in nearby areas of Jampui hill of the same sub-division. In other sub-division also, a section of local people is opposed to settlement in their areas. In this way, unfortunately, the displaced people of Mizoram are becoming unwanted to a section of the people of Tripura.

In these circumstances, the CPI(M) has expressed very rational opinion that the government must be careful in selection of lands so that the local people are not badly affected with the new settlement. It is a fact that most of the government khas lands and degraded forest lands are in occupation of the local people. They are dependent on those lands. So, the government should proceed after attaining consent of the local people for new settlement. If necessary, the government should purchase lands. At the same time, the opinion of the refugees regarding location of the settlement should also be considered properly. Any opposition to settlement in narrow communal line is by any means unacceptable. Long years of sufferings of the displaced Reang as refugees in their own country should be ended by successful implementation of the rehabilitation package.

It is to be mentioned here that Brus or Reangs are a part of Kokborok speaking Tripuri people of Tripura. They have been living in mainly Tripura-bordering district of Mizoram from time immemorial. It is said that some Reangs took shelter in Mizoram because of brutal killings and suppression of the then King of Tripura in 1942. At that time the historic Reang revolt led by Ratanmani Reang took place in Tripura. But before that incident, Reangs were there in Mizoram. It was known as Lusai Hill and declared excluded area under the British rule at that time. Roughly half of Reang population of Mizoram is still residing in that state. Similarly, thousands of Mizo peoples have been living in Jampui Hill in Tripura. As Mizos have every right to live in their land in Tripura, Reangs have same right in Mizoram. But they are now deprived of that right.

The then Left Front government of Tripura set up camps in Kanchanpur sub-division and arranged ration for the displaced Reangs in consultation with the central government. Then chief minister Manik Sarkar earnestly tried to resolve the problem for long years. But since it is a problem of Mizoram, solution depends upon the decision of the central government. The Tripura assembly sent resolution to the central government requesting to take proper steps to resolve the crisis several times. Sarkar even presented a video cassette to the then union home minister to show the miserable condition of the refugees. But the central government failed to perform its duty. It is surprising that both UPA and NDA governments got opportunity to have their party-led government in Mizoram in 23 years. Present ruling party MNF of Mizoram is also a partner of NDA. But they failed to convince their own partner government in Mizoram. During the period of the Left Front government the supply of ration for refugees had never been stopped and not a single day of starvation was reported. But within one-and-half years of the BJP-IPFT alliance assuming power, suddenly their ration supply had been stopped and starvation of refugees began in the month of October last year. It was reported that four persons died of starvation in the refugee camps. Without having any option to survive, thousands of refugees started a road blocking movement lying on the road in Kanchanpur sub-division which compelled the government to resupply ration again in the camps. That very inhuman ration closing decision of the government and the starvation deaths forced the refugees to give up their long pending demand for repatriation to their own land in Mizoram. After 23 years of struggle, the frustrated and disappointed refugees had to rethink for their future in other way with a deep sigh. 

There are different tribal communities in Mizoram. Though the Mizos are vast majority, the others – Lai, Mara, Chakma, Bru or Reang communities – are also there. Three separate autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution are there for Lai, Mara and Chakma communities. So, the Brus also raised demand for autonomous council for their community in the year of 1996-97. Centering that demand, the ethnic clash between Mizo and Bru communities took place and a section of Mizo racist miscreants attacked the Bru villages and burnt down their houses indiscriminately, creating the refugee problem. The Bru refugees agreed to leave their demand for autonomous council in the subsequent meetings held with the representatives of the central and Mizoram governments. Finally, they demanded their rehabilitation in contiguous manner in Mamit district of Mizoram which is adjacent to Tripura. Even they were ready to be resettled in Dampa tiger sanctuary areas. Because of their long years of absence, their lands had been in possession of other people now as customary land law is existing in Mizoram. But the Mizoram government as well as the central government wanted to settle them in a scattered manner in different parts of the state. The refugees did not agree to the decision of the governments. This was the main reason for which no solution could be arrived at.

Actually, instead of discharging their constitutional and humanitarian duties, both the central and Mizoram governments tried to solve the problem in keeping narrow political gain in their mind. So, they failed. Also, identity politics is very active in the north-east region. It has created divisive and secessionist tendencies among the different groups of the region. Inter-tribe clash is a poisonous result of this identity politics and Reang refugee problem is one of its examples.
However, implementation of the four-party agreements to rehabilitate the displaced Reangs in Tripura is expected. It should not be another example of failure and false promises of the central government like ‘achhe din’, Rs 15 lakh in bank account, two crore jobs per year, Twipraland, etc. We demand complete and successful implementation of Reang refugee rehabilitation package of Rs 600 crore in scheduled time in Tripura.