Bru Refugee Crisis – Economics – Free PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS

• A four party agreement among the Centre, Mizoram Government, Tripura Government and Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) which seeks to end the 22-year-old Bru refugee crisis is signed

 Background 

• More than 30,000 Bru tribes who fled Mizoram, are residing in Tripura’s refugee camps

 Topics Covered 

• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

What to study? 

• For Prelims: Who are Brus and issues associated
• For Mains: Agreement in this regard and the recent demands for relaxation of the norms in the agreement

Who are Brus? 

• The Brus, also referred to as the Reangs, are spread across the northeastern states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram

Background 

• Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam
• In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group
• In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that do not consider them indigenous to the state
• In 1997, following ethnic clashes, nearly 37,000 Brus fled Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts of Mizoram and were accommodated in relief camps in Tripura
• In June 2018, community leaders from the Bru camps signed an agreement with the Centre and the two state governments, providing for repatriation in Mizoram
• But most camp residents rejected the terms of the agreement
• The camp residents say that the agreement doesn’t guarantee their safety in Mizoram
• In October 2019, the supply of ration to relief camps was stopped on instructions of the Home Ministry in a bid to hastily complete the repatriation of refugees to Mizoram
• Civil society outfits had alleged that at least six refugees died due to starvation

Highlights of the agreement 

• Under the agreement , the centre has announced a package of Rs 600 crore under this agreement
• As per the agreement the Bru tribes would be given land to reside in Tripura
• A fixed deposit of Rs 4 lakh will be given to each family as an amount of government aid
• They will be able to withdraw this amount after two years
• Each of the displaced families will be given 40×30 sq ft residential plots
• Apart from them, each family will be given Rs 5,000 cash per month for two years
• The agreement highlights that each displaced family will also be given free ration for two years and aid of Rs 1.5 lakh to build their houses

Significance 

• This agreement will bring a permanent solution for the rehabilitation of thousands of Bru-Reang people in Tripura
• The government believes that this agreement will bring a bright future for them
• Bru-Reang people will be able to enjoy the benefits of all social-welfare schemes of governments

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