42 Reang families trickle into Assam

Mizoram announces compensation

File picture of a Reang camp Agartala, Nov. 21: Forty-two Reang families from Mizoram trickled into Karimganj district of Assam today as tension continued to grip the area near the six refugee camps in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura. The Reang families from Kalaliam village in Kolasib district of Mizoram reached Rangamati in Assam after trekking along the hilly terrain in the afternoon. Having received information about the families waiting at Rangamati, leaders of Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) arranged to bring them to Kasko Reang refugee camp under Damcherra police station. The president of MBDPF, Elvis Chorkhy, said the families that arrived yesterday were relatives and family members of Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) and Bru Liberation Front (BLF) rebels who had been rehabilitated by the Mizoram government at Kalaliam village. The latest influx has raised the number of new refugees to 1,202 families. The sub-divisional officer (Kanchanpur), Uttam Chakma, said the refugees outside the camps were being given relief materials, including rice and pulses, but those sheltered inside the six existing camps were being taken care of by the camp authorities from the quota of ration given for the other inmates. “My problem is not so much the new refugees as the continuing rumours about the possibility of ethnic riots involving the Mizos and Reangs. Reangs living in the foothills of Jampui and Sakhantang have a good understanding but those who have escaped the Mizo attacks are a potential source of trouble,” Chakma said. The only redeeming feature in the tense situation was the brief visit by Mizoram health minister Lalhingriana Sailo and Speaker Romaoia. Both arrived together last evening and visited several Mizo-dominated villages, besides holding a meeting with leader of Young Mizo Association (YMA) at Bhangmun, the headquarters of Jampui hills. “We condemned the killing of a Mizo youth on November 13 and also the subsequent incidents of arson in the Reang-dominated villages. We also pointed out to the VIPs that whenever any incident happened in Mizoram, it had a spillover effect within Tripura, casting a shadow on the otherwise good relations between the Reangs and Mizos,” said David Sailo, the secretary of the YMA. He added that Mizoram health minister Sailo had assured them that the government of Mizoram was sensitive to the situation in Tripura and would take action to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Speaker Romaoia visited the Saboal area where over 150 Reang families from Mizoram are taking shelter. He assured them that their safety would be guaranteed upon their return to Mizoram and cash compensation given to the returnees who had lost their homes in the violence. Mizoram today announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 each for Bru families who fled to neighbouring Tripura in the wake of the mob violence. With Rs 50 lakh allocated for the purpose, each family would receive Rs 3,000 once they returned while the remaining amount would be disbursed for their resettlement, a PTI report adds.