Tripura: At least 17 huts destroyed in fire at Bru refugee camp

At least 17 makeshift huts of Bru refugees in North Tripura’s Hamsapara village on Saturday were destroyed in a fire that broke out because of electrical issues, EastMojo reported.

Members of the Bru community have been living in six relief camps across Tripura since 1997 after they were displaced from Mizoram.

Bruno Msha, general secretary of Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum, told East Mojo that 11 houses were dismantled to prevent the fire from spreading. He added that nobody was injured.

However, many families lost their documents and other possessions in the fire.

“The government should compensate for the loss and temporary shelters should be provided to the affected families,” Msha said. “This is the month of November and people would suffer in the cold if immediate measures are not taken.”

He added that although the state government did not provide power connection to the relief camp, the Bru community members had obtained a connection at their own expense, The Indian Express reported. “An electric short circuit or other malfunction might have caused the fire,” he added.

An unidentified officer told EastMojo on Saturday that the fire department had reached the spot as soon as they were informed of the fire. The police are now assessing the damage.

In January 2020, the government had declared a Rs 600-crore package for resettling over 33,000 migrants from the Bru community in Tripura.

The Bru tribe

The Bru tribe was displaced from Mizoram 24 years ago following the murder of a forest guard at the state’s Dampa Tiger Reserve. He was allegedly killed by the Bru militants. It had led to a violent backlash against the community, forcing thousands to flee to neighbouring Tripura.

There was another exodus 12 years later. In November 2009, Bru militants reportedly killed a Mizo teenager, triggering another spate of retaliatory attacks on the Brus who had stayed behind, forcing many into Tripura once more.

Since then, there have been multiple attempts to facilitate the return of the Brus – who are also known as Reangs – to Mizoram, but the government and the community’s leaders have often not been able to agree on the terms of repatriation.

Tripura’s Joint Movement Committee and other civil groups fear the resettlement plan would disrupt the local demography, social, ecological and environmental balance of the region. They demand that the Brus be settled across all the eight districts of Tripura instead of concentrating them largely in north Tripura.

On November 16, 2020, a delegation of Bru leaders had asked the Tripura government to provide Scheduled Tribe certificates, permanent residence certificates and enrolment in ration cards and electoral rolls to enable them to enjoy government scheme benefits. They also demanded equal financial aid for all the displaced members.