Reang refugees demand resumption of ration, other relief assistance

A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA: The Reang refugees residing in the six North Tripura camps have launched an agitation demanding resumption of ration and other relief assistance as they are facing food crisis since the Government stopped the supply of free rations with effect from October 1.

A large number of refugees led by the newly formed Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Co-ordination Committee organized a silent rally from Naisingh Para camp up to Kambal Tilla — eight kilometers away — in Kanchanpur sub-division of North Tripura district.

Later a four-member delegation of the committee met Sub-Divisional Magistrate Naba Kumar Jamatia and submitted a memorandum addressed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Copies of the memorandum were also sent to the Joint Secretary to the Union Home Ministry, Mahesh Kumar Sringla who is involved in the negotiation over repatriation of the refuges, and also the Chief Secretary to the Government of Tripura, LK Gupta.

Apart from demanding resumption of ration, the memorandum raised seven demands as pre-conditions for their return to their ancestral home in Mizoram. These include among others demands also the formation of an autonomous district council for the Reangs in Mizoram, allotment of five hectares of land for each family and also an amount of Rs 4 lakh to each family at the time of repatriation.

However, the Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Co-ordination Committee is not a recognized organization. It was formed only after the four-point agreement was signed which said all the refugees will be repatriated by September 30.

The Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Forum signed the agreement as the representative of all the refugees residing in the camps. The co-ordination committee was formed immediately after the signing of the agreement and it opposed repatriation of the refugees.

As a result of their opposition, only 54 families out of nearly 5,000 families have returned so far.