Agartala: Marking a crucial turning point in their resettlement process, Bru refugees living in Tripura were able to exercise their right to vote in the Lok Sabha elections without having to travel back to Mizoram.
The historic event took place at the Bru Reang Refugee camp in Tripura's Ambassa Subdivision, enabling Bru refugees to cast their ballots without having to go to the frontier between Tripura and Mizoram as they had to in the past. As a result of a central government-sponsored rehabilitation project that was started in January 2020, this development represents the second time that Bru refugees have taken part in the electoral process from within Tripura since their permanent settlement in the state.
The resettlement program came about as a result of a quadripartite agreement that the governments of India, Tripura, Mizoram, and representatives of the Bru refugees signed on January 16, 2020. With the signing of this deal, the Bru community—which had spent more than 20 years in makeshift camps in North Tripura after fleeing ethnic violence in Mizoram in October 1997—was to cease their protracted exile.
After being removed from the Mizoram voting records owing to their changing residential status, around 14,000 Bru voters were reintegrated into Tripura's electoral rolls under the rehabilitation scheme. As part of the relocation effort, 6,959 Bru households are currently being moved to 12 designated places around Tripura. A substantial financial package around Rs 661 crore has been put aside to aid in the resettlement of the refugees.
The majority of the 2020 agreement's requirements, such as those pertaining to free rationing, financial allowances, and necessities, are being fulfilled, according to those in charge of the process. By giving the refugees access to necessities like roads, electricity, and water, this facilitates their transfer into new communities and dwellings.
Though the majority of Brus now live in Tripura, hundreds still live in the Mamit area of Mizoram, the site of the first battle. Due to a lack of precise information, it is unclear how these people are now registered to vote and whether they will participate in the next assembly election in Mizoram on November 7.
This turning point in the Bru refugees' journey represents a big step toward normalizing their status and emphasizes the teamwork
