Roadmap approved for Bru repatriation

AIZAWL: A high-level meeting today approved the Roadmap 'V' for the repatriation of Brus from the six relief camps in Tripura to Mizoram in November this year.

The meeting was attended among others by Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma and Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary (North East), Union Home Ministry here, Additional Secretary for the state home department Lalbiakzama said.

The state home department had earlier submitted to the Centre the Roadmap 'V' — a detail plan for repatriation of 20,700 Brus belonging to 3,455 families on May 17 last, a fortnight before the expiry of the dateline set by the Union Home Ministry for submission of the plan, he said.

Though the Roadmap 'IV' for repatriation of Brus failed miserably in 2015, the Union Home Ministry has insisted that another attempt be made to ensure that Brus in the relief camps return to Mizoram.

The effort to repatriate 3,500 Bru families during June to September in 2015 failed as not a single Bru came forward in their respective relief camps before the Mizoram officials, to be identified as bona fide residents of Mizoram.

Thousands of Bru families fled Mizoram and migrated to Tripura due to ethnic tension in 1997.

(Agencies)