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Updated: Oct 10, 2019 00:34 IST

Bru refugees settled in Tripura have refused to return to Mizoram till their demands of post repatriation benefits are met.

Their demands include verification of land to be allotted to them after their repatriation to Mizoram, ensuring their safety and security, one-time cash payment benefits and creation of an autonomous district council for them.

“The repatriation didn’t take place for the last two days. In a meeting with them on Tuesday, we discussed about the repatriation. But they stuck to their demands. However, the vehicles will come to the camps tomorrow (Thursday),” said Kanchanpur sub divisional magistrate Abhedananda Baidya.

The ninth phase of repatriation that started from October 3 ran into problems after a group of Bru women protested in front of the camps on October 7 and demanded justice for a Bru woman who was allegedly burnt alive in Mizoram.

Though the protest was called off following meeting between district administrative officials and Bru leaders, they refused to return to their native place. A total of 51 families had returned to Mizoram on October 3.

A joint press communique issued by Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum (MBDPF), Mizoram Bru Indigenous Democratic Movement (MBIDM), Bru Tribal Development Society (BTDS), Camp Defense Committee (CDC) and other organizations in the Bru camps, accused the Mizoram government of not following its action plan for the repatriation process and that the grievances of the Bru are not being heard.

In a memorandum to Mizoram Home Minister which they submitted to the Tripura North District Magistrate on September 30, the displaced Bru people had explained that their demands had to be fulfilled to make them participate in the repatriation process.

Over 37,000 Bru people came to Tripura in 1997 following an ethnic clash in Mizoram.

As many as 4,400 Bru families are currently living at six camps with three each in

Kanchanpur and Panisagar sub division in North district, nearly 200 km from Agartala.

In eight phases of repatriation since 2009, nearly 7000 Bru displacees had returned to Mizoram.