MHA sends senior official to end Mizoram Bru refugee impasse

Agartala: A senior official of the Ministry of Home Affairs arrived in Agartala on Friday to discuss the repatriation of the Mizoram Bru displaced people sheltered in seven camps in North Tripura.

Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary of MHA in charge of Northeast, met Tripura's Chief Secretary YP Singh and DGP K Nagaraj before visiting the Bru refugee camps at Kanchanpur where over 34,000 Brus are presently sheltered since they fled Mizoram in 1997 following a communal violence over dispute with the majority Mizos.

"We are working on a plan for repatriation of the Brus, they have been here for long. Government of India, Mizoram and Tripura are working for the repatriation. I am visiting the Bru camps at Kanchanpur and monitor how much prepared we are for the repatriation and state government officers of Tripura and Mizoram are joining me at Kanchanpur. I also want to see the condition in the camps and work out a plan so that this repatriation takes place faster," said Garg.

He informed that the schedule for repatriation was supposed to be over by August but for some reason it could not take place. However, the effort at present is to start the repatriation process again and as per the new revised repatriation plan submitted by the government of Mizoram and which is time rigid.

Garg said that the recent incident of attack on security forces especially in Manipur crossing across from Myanmar, the India government has decided to increase security in this unfenced bordering area to stop cross border insurgency.

"Northeast has more international border than national and Myanmar is the most sensitive border at this moment and there are certain issues like in Manipur there was an encounter recently. So government of India is working on a plan to increase security along the Indo-Myanmar border," he added.

He expressed his concern over Arunachal Pradesh being used as a corridor and safe shelter by militants of Nagaland.

"Arunachal has got spread over of insurgency and next to Nagaland. Certain areas of Arunachal are next to Nagaland and there is real insurgency situation there but corridors or insurgents moving for hideouts, shelter or crossover those concerns are there, however, we are addressing them," he added.

He also said that to stop trans-border movement of arms, ammunition and of militants the India government is in regular touch with all its neighours in the Northeast.

"Government of India takes it up with everybody whether it is Bangladesh, Myanmar, China or Bhutan and everyone where strategic interest are there," said Garg.

He informed that to bring long-lasting peace in the region the government of India has take an initiative to continue peace talk with various insurgent groups in the region and for which there should be a congenial atmosphere.

Garg said, "Government of India is talking to Naga's (insurgents) NSCN, Kukis we have been talking, Maitee there is a certain group we have suspended operations. We are reviewing the situation in Manipur on regular basis and are hopeful that the situation will improve."
He added that the work of fencing along the Bangladesh border to stop illegal migration is progress fast and smoothly except few small patched where availability as because of either population or river is the impediment.
"Bangladesh border fencing work has progressed very well except the patches where there are two issues. Either there are land related issues - where the land is yet to be given for fencing or riverine area where because of the nature of the river there is difficulty. But government of India is committed, we are working on it so that this fencing remains absolutely temper proof or illegal immigration does not take place," said the Joint Secretary of MHA.
He added that at present the most peaceful state in the Northeast region are Mizoram and Tripura and the withdrawal of AFSPA from the later show how the state come out of the ugly clutches of insurgency and with support for the local population.