At least 2,000 people, belonging to Bru community have taken shelter in the foothills of Jampui in the Kanchanpur subdivision since Saturday last following ethnic violence in Mamit and Kolashib districts, bordering Tripura.
In a related development, the Mizoram Government today announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 each for Bru families who fled to neighbouring Tripura in the wake of the mob violence.
With Rs 50 lakh having been allocated for the purpose, each family would receive Rs 3,000 once they returned back while the remaining amount would be disbursed for their resettlement, an official spokesman said.
Making it clear that Mizoram must ensure the security of the Brus, the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF), the sole representative body of the refugees, however asserted the community members, sheltered in the evacuee camps, would not return on their own unless the safety aspect was ensured.
“We cannot and will not return to our own land unless the government solves this problem in a democratic manner and give us full guarantee of safety and security. We can not just return to be butchered and our properties destroyed there,” Secretary of the MBDPF said over phone from Kanchanpur.
The repatriation was scheduled to begin on November 14 as decided in the tripartite meeting in Aizawl on November 4 last.
The MBDPF demanded an inquiry into the incident and arrest of the culprits. “Those, who are against repatriation, must have killed the Mizo youth. Else, why the murder should take place just before the day of begining of the repatriation?”, he asked.
The fresh violence erupted following gunning down of a 18-year old Mizo youth on Friday last at Bunghuma village by suspected militants ofBru National Army.
The 37,000 refugees, now sheltered in the evacuee camps had trickled down to Tripura since 1997 following series of ethnic clashes.
The Speaker of Mizoram Assembly R Rawma arrived at Bhangmun village in Kanchanpur sub-division, neighbouring Mizoram, to assess the situation and is likely to stay there till tomorrow.
The Mizoram Police estimated that more than 600 Brus had fled Mizoram since last November 13 following the murder of the youth. – PTI
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