AGARTALA, June 14 (TIWN): The proposed commencement of repatriation of Brus lodged in Kaskau relief camp in North Tripura district was cancelled as not a single Bru turned up for identification at the camp. However talking to TIWN official engaged to the process of the repatriation said, “The processing for taking back the bru refugees from Tripura would continue as per the scheduled date.” However the next identification process would begin at Kanchanpur relief camp bordering Mizoram under North Tripura District from July 13. The official said, “The process of identification prior to repatriation would take place as per the time table that had already been chalked out.” Adding he said that during the least identification process had not turned out for their registration following which the Mizoram Government was bound to cancel the entire repatriation process at Kaskau relief camp under North district of the state. The apex court had last month instructed the Centre and the governments of Mizoram and Tripura to complete the Bru repatriation process within six months. Following the court order, the Mizoram government prepared a road map for repatriation of around 3,500 Bru families during June to September 2015.

Various phases of the repatriation process have been undertaken since 2010, but they have all met with limited success because of opposition by relief camp leaders who continue to demand higher compensation packages.

The official also said that if the refugees who called themselves ‘bru’ do not turn up during the entire repatriation process than the Mizoram government along with the state government officials would sit for another meeting taking up the issue to decide the next phase programme.

The repatriation from Kaskau relief camp at Dhamcharra under North Tripura District was supposed to start from June 8, but as no refugee turned out during the identification process the Mizoram officials had to return back empty hand. The state government made arrangements for resumption of repatriation of Brus from six relief camps in Tripura and proposed to repatriate more than 3,500 families. The preparations came after the Supreme Court instructed both the Centre and the Mizoram government to repatriate all Brus within six months. 

As per earlier tripartite talks between Mizoram Government, Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) and Tripura Government, identification of bona fide residents of Mizoram for repatriation started at the Kaskau camp from June 2, but not a single family turned up.

However, despite all out efforts, repartiation of Bru refugees, sheltered in six relief camps in Kanchanpur subdivision, have been virtually derailed once again. The Mizoram government is now preparing for another repatriation process at Kanchanpur, Tripura North with a hope that the refugees camping there would turn up and would agree to return back to their home.

According to the official source during the last programme the leaders of the refugee had asked the refugees to oppose their registration. It was alleged that the refugees still keeps certain demands from the center until which they would not move for repatriation.

The Central government has already offered a rehabilitation package to those refugee families who want to return to Mizoram. Under the package, a one-time grant of Rs. 85000 to each family will be given, along with free ration for two years after repatriation process.

A section of refugees who refused to turn up for the identification process claimed that there is no use of returning back to their home town as the package announced by the central government would be expired after two years, therefore after two years there would be no one to look after them, claimed the refugees.