Seven days after an indefinite strike was launched by a forum called Joint Movement Committee against the resettlement of 6,000 Bru refugees from Mizoram in Kanchanpur sub-division of Tripura, it was “temporarily” called off on Tuesday, PTI reported.
Local MLA Bhagaban Das, who initiated the dialogue said talks between the government and the agitators were held in two phases on Monday and were fruitful. The Joint Movement Committee was given the assurance that their demands would be taken care of at a meeting with the elected public representatives and the government officials.
“The discussion concluded that both sides will have to sacrifice something and the indefinite strike was withdrawn,” Das said.
The withdrawal of the strike comes three days after two people died when protestors, who had blocked the vital NH-8, locally called Assam Road, that connects Tripura with outside, clashed with security personnel at Panisagar in the Kanchanpur sub-division.
Joint Movement Committee Convenor Sushanta Baruah said they have demanded a compensation package of Rs 20 lakh and a government job for a family member of one of its supporters Srikanta Das, who had died in police firing. The committee has also demanded treatment of those injured in the clash and a financial package for repair of damaged vehicles and property, Baruah said.
The Joint Movement Committee, comprising of Bengalis and local Mizos had launched an agitation since November 16, against the resettlement of 34,000 displaced Brus in Tripura.
Originally from Mizoram, the Brus had fled from the Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts of the state in 1997. In January, the Union government announced a Rs 600-crore package for the refugees after it was decided to resettle them in Tripura as part of a four-corner agreement between the state governments of Tripura, Mizoram, the Centre and Bru migrants.
The Joint Movement Committee and other civil groups in Tripura 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 concentrating them largely in North Tripura.
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