JMC up in arms against Bru tribe resettlement in North district of Tripura

A Joint Movement Committee, made up of representatives from Jampul Hill Mizo Convention and Kanchanpur Nagarik Suraksha Mancha, on Saturday opposed the proposal to resettle people belonging to the displaced Bru tribe from Mizoram in Kanchanpur sub-division of Tripura's North district.

Agartala: The Joint Movement Committee (JMC) in the Kanchanpur sub-division of Tripura's North district has raised strong objections to the proposed settlement of members of the displaced Bru tribe permanently in the Naisingpara and Ashapara areas under the sub-division. Leaders of the platform, comprising Convener Sushanta Bikash Barua and Chairman Dr. Zairemthiama Pachua, have also submitted a memorandum to the Kanchanpur SDM, raising objections over the issue.

"We would like to bring to your kind attention that, we had to come to know from a reliable source that there has been a plan by the government to settle a total of 2000 families of Mizoram Bru migrants at their current camps in Naisingpara & Ashapara permanently. This updated plan grossly violates the settlement agreement in terms of location," the leaders stated in their letter.

“We strongly object to the settlement of Mizoram Bru migrant families at Naisingpara and Ashapara and at other places mentioned above. We are expecting a favourable response and action from you,” the document further read.

They further noted that the grouping also objects to settlement in areas such as Manu-Chailengta CCRF, Ananda Bazar CCRF, Paschim Hmunpui mouza, Behliangchhip mouza, and Nandiram areas. The JMC, a unified body, consisting of the Jampul Hill Mizo Convention and Kanchanpur Nagarik Suraksha Mancha, has been opposing the resettlement of Bru people in the district for the better part of the last two years.

The Bru resettlement issue in Tripura has its roots in ethnic clashes dating back to 1997 in Mizoram, when more than 37,000 members of the Bru, or Reang, tribe fled to the neighbouring state. Currently, more than 30,000 members still remain in Tripura. Protests by both Bengali and Mizo ethnic groups kicked off in January 2020, when a meeting between the Centre, the governments of the two states, and representatives of the community decided on permanent resettlement of the Bru community members in Tripura.