'Meeting of JMG to discuss Bru repatriation inconclusive'

The meeting of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) to discuss the repatriation of Bru refugees from the six relief camps in Tripura to Mizoram was "inconclusive" as Bru representatives refused to budge from their demands, official sources said here today.

The meeting was "inconclusive" as Mizoram Bru Displace People's Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the Bru refugees in the six relief camps in Tripura demanded that all their demands be fulfilled by the Centre and Mizoram, Additional Secretary in Mizoram Government's Home department Lalbiakzama told PTI today.

The meeting chaired by Special Secretary (Internal Secretary) in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs M K Singla in Guwahati yesterday was attended by officials of Mizoram and Tripura government, representatives of MBDPF, Bru Coordination Committee (BCC) and central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), he informed.
 

Lalbazkzama said the leaders of the MBDPF stuck to their demands even after they were informed that some of their demands were impractical and could not be implemented.

The demands of the MBDPF are allotment of at least five hectare land to each repatriated Bru family, enhancement of rehabilitation package, provision of free ration for two years, Rs 5,000 per month be given to each family and the Brus he given the same status as given to Kashmiri Pandits.

The MBDPF was represented in the Guwahati meeting by its president A Sawibunga and general secretary Bruno Msha.

Officials said that it would be impossible to begin physical repatriation of the Brus from mid-February as proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs due to a number of reasons.

Meanwhile, the MBDPF has filed a petition in the Supreme Court making several demands while the Bru Displaced Welfare Organisation (BDWO) sent a letter recently to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying that no Bru would return to Mizoram until and unless all their demands were conceded by the Centre and the Mizoram government.

The repatriation process had begun after Mizoram government officials visited the six relief camps in Tripura and identified over 32,800 Brus belonging to 5,413 families as bona fide residents of Mizoram and to be repatriated.