Nine years ethinic woes to end in Mizoram

Aizawl, Oct 24: Exactly after nine years of Reang repatriation deadlock is now all set to be solved as all the Bru (reang) militants agreed to surrender before the Mizoram authorities.

A total 797 BLFM will surrrender at Tuipuibari in the state on October 27 next in presence of Home Ministry officials besides Mizoram and Tripura representatives.

Official sources said recently the Mizoram government agreed to take back 25,000 Reang regugees presently sheltered in six camps at North Tripura district.

"As per the agreement reached between the rebels and the Zoramthanga administration, a team of Mizoram police along with Assam Rifles carried out search operations in the camps and recovered about 70 firearms and explosives along with a few BLFM cadres," said Superintendent of Police CID, Mizoram, Mr Lal Dhina.

The surrender will take place only after through scrutiny of their identity, he added.

The BLFM had earlier submitted a 16-point charter of demands including formation of autonomous body for the reangs, 10 per cent reservation for the ethnic group to Mizoram government.

It said Mizoram government has agreed to provide the surrenderees Rs 40,000 each besides free ration for one year but there was no assurance so far about the main demand, Autonomous District council.

The Reang tribes left Mizoram and took shelter in six camps at Kanchanpur subdivision in North Tripura following fierce ethnic violence between the minority Reangs and majority Lushais (Mizos) on October 14 1997.

The communal violence erupted in Mizoram as the Reangs raised demand of separate autonomous council for them besides several other issues.

At a point of time there were about 41,000 displaced Reangs in North Tripura camps and within one year Reang militancy began with a section of displaced youths taking up arms and creating terror in Mizoram Territory.

Mizoram government clearly under the pressure from powerful Mizo NGOs who were overtly reluctant to take back the refugees.

The stand-off continued as Mizoram either contradicted Tripura government and Bru leaders figure of the displaced persons (reangs in the camps) saying not all of them were not originally from Mizoram or demanding total surrender of the militants.

UNI