Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his profound happiness on Sunday while addressing members of the rehabilitated Bru tribal community in a remote village in Tripura.
“I am more happy than you. Prime Minister Modi ji is also very happy that we could rehabilitate you after 40 years,” he said during his visit.
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The Bru (Reang) community, displaced for decades due to ethnic violence in Mizoram, has been resettled in Tripura under a historic quadripartite agreement signed on January 16, 2020. The agreement involved the Central government, the governments of Tripura, Mizoram, and representatives of Bru organisations.
Shah highlighted the government’s initiatives to ensure the sustainable livelihood of the resettled families. “We have made available 25 types of livelihood opportunities for you, including animal husbandry, dairy farming, honeybee keeping, and millet farming,” he announced.
The home minister also visited several homes, interacted with the villagers, and inquired about their challenges. He assured the residents who had not yet received their Ayushman Bharat health cards that the matter would be resolved within two days and instructed the district magistrate to expedite the process. The Bru tribals, originally from Mizoram’s Mamit, Lunglei, and Kolasib districts, were forced to flee due to ethnic violence in 1997, 1998, and 2009. Since then, many lived in makeshift camps in North Tripura. The rehabilitation pact marked a new chapter in their lives, with the government committing to their dignified resettlement.
Under the agreement, 12 resettlement locations were identified across North Tripura, Dhalai, Gomati, and South Tripura districts. Of these, nine are on forest land and three on government land. A total of 754 acres has been allocated for resettlement, with 6,935 families—comprising 37,584 individuals—benefiting from the initiative. The government has ensured development of basic infrastructure in these colonies, including power lines, internal roads, drinking water facilities through deep tube wells, and household connectivity.
The resettlement project has been backed by substantial financial support, with Rs 793.65 crore contributed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Rs 28.34 crore by the Tripura government. To date, Rs 693.13 crore has been released, including Rs 406.42 crore transferred directly to beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer. The rehabilitation efforts have brought hope and stability to the Bru tribals, who had endured decades of uncertainty. “The government is committed to ensuring that you live with dignity in your homes,” Shah reiterated.
