Mizo bodies to verify bona fide Brus

Aizawl, Feb 21 (UNI) The Mizoram government has decided to undertake verification of former Bru (Reang) militants and refugees who left the state en masse in 1997 and took shelter in six camps of North Tripura.

Official sources said here today that the home department held a meeting with major NGOs and student bodies in Mizoram have decided to verify whether they are bona fide residents of the state.

A recent joint meeting of four major NGOs resolved to cooperate with the state Government agencies in proper identification of Brus last week, officials said adding, '' We are sending teams to western belt of the state, where the Brus earlier settled before migrating to Tripura, for conducting a thorough inquiry.'' The NGOs stated that the state Government agencies had discovered that more than 100 of the 804 Bru Liberation Front of Mizoram (BLFM) militants, who surrendered in October last, were not bonafide residents of Mizoram.

About 31,000 Brus left their homes and fled to Tripura after BLFM militants murdered a forest guard near Mizoram-Tripura border area in October 1997. Fearing communal backlash from the Mizos and also threats from the Bru insurgents, they were forced to leave Mizoram.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples' Forum (MBDPF) president Elvias Chorkhy told UNI that a week-long sit in demonastration will be launched from Friday in front of the Raj Bhawan in Agartala for repatriation of Bru refugees to Mizoram and press for 15 other demands.

''About 200 Bru refugees from North Tripura will participate in the agitation. If our demands are not fulfilled by March 2 we will launch an indefinite hunger strike," Mr Chorkhy warned.

UNI