Mizoram links Reang repatriation to militancy

AGARTALA, March 17: The Mizoram government's bid to link the repatriation of more than 31,000 Reang tribal refugees stranded in six North Tripura camps over the past three-and-a-half years to the issue of Bru militancy has dimmed the prospect of an early repatriation of refugees. Mizoram government's latest stand was made clear at a tripartite meeting held in Delhi between the chief secretaries of Mizoram, Tripura and senior officials of the Union home ministry. Mizoram chief secretary H.V. Lalringa said unless the Bru National Liberation Front stopped terrorist activities in Mizoram, repatriation of refugees would not be possible. Despite persuasion by Union home ministry officials and Tripura chief secretary V. Thulasidas, the Mizoram chief secretary refused to budge from his stand. Last year, Mizoram had stalled the repatriation process saying only 16,000 of the 31,000 refugees in Tripura camps were genuine Mizoram residents. Official sources here expressed resentment over "fresh obstacles being created by Mizoram." They said there were 31,811 Reang refugees in Tripura and all of them were genuine residents of Mizoram. The Reang tribals fled Mammith subdivision in southern Mizoram to Kanchanpur in North Tripura in October 1997 following alleged atrocities by Mizo tribals and the police. The Reang tribals were demanding a separate district council. After many fluctuations, the Tripura government put the number of refugees at 31,811 following a thorough headcount. A series of meetings between officials of Tripura and Mizoram governments had failed to break the deadlock over repatriation. Mizoram refused to relent despite intervention by Union home minister L.K. Advani and National Human Rights Commission. Official sources said the Centre has so far sanctioned Rs 27.25 crore for the refugees and added that last year it backed out of its commitment to take them back. The Mizoram government has demanded Rs 20 crore from the Centre for repatriation and rehabilitation of refugees in the state, sources said. Two overground advisors of the BNLF Timothy Bru and Joseph Bru have described the Mizoram government's insistence on the surrender of BNLF activists "a gimmick" aimed at garnering public support. They said there was a "secret offer from the Mizoram government for peace talks" and they were ready to accept it. But that could not be linked to repatriation of Reang refugees, they added. They made it clear that even if they came to the negotiating table, the talks would have to be held either in Calcutta or in Guwahati. "We will never take part in any talks at Aizawl," they added.