AGARTALA, Aug 19 (TIWN): Although the Tripura government recently said it was ready to send back Bru refugees living in camps in the state to Mizoram but the final repatriation plan was yet to be formalised. Talking to TIWN correspondent, DM North Sandeep Mahatme said that nothing is finalised regarding repatriating Bru’s from Tripura as several protocols need to be followed as although Tripura government is ready but Mizoram government is not accepting the demand of the Bru’s.The Union home ministry has decided to repatriate around 37,000 Bru refugees from Mizoram, who have been living in six camps in North Tripura for the past 19 years, from November this year. Tripura chief secretary YP Singh earlier said that the Mizoram government would have to submit the final movement plan which is necessary to make the repatriation a success. Bru refugees have demanded security in Mizoram, cluster-based rehabilitation and at least a year's financial and social security package but the Lal Thanhawla government has not agreed to the demands.

 As a result, despite several attempts at repatriation, no headway has been made, Singh pointed out.

Thousands of Brus had left Mizoram and migrated to Tripura after rebels of Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) gunned down a game watcher of the state forest department inside Dampa Tiger Reserve along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border on October 21, 1997. Since 2010, some Bru families have returned to Mizoram but most chose to stay back in the camps in Tripura. 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.