14K Displaced Reang Tribals to Caste Vote in Tripura Polls 2023

As many as 14,005 Reang Tribals will be casting their votes for the first time in Tripura on Thursday. These are the group of people who were displaced from Mizoram about 26 years ago. These people fled from Tripura in October, 1997. During all these years they took shelter in seven different relief camps in North Tripura’s Kanchanpur and Panisagar subdivisions.

According to the Election officials, the Reang tribals who are locally called "Bru", would cast their votes in different polling stations in four districts.

The four-partite agreement which was signed on January 16, 2020, between the Union Home Ministry, Mizoram and Tripura governments and the Reang tribals hold that the 37,136 tribals comprising 6,959 families would be settled in Tripura's different districts.

Around 21,703 eligible voters from among the displaced people would be enrolled in the electoral lists of Tripura.

"As the resettlement process is not yet completed, the names of all the 21,703 eligible voters could not be included in the voters' list of Tripura. Those 14,005 enrolled names would be allowed to exercise their franchise," told an election official.

He further said that after their settlement, necessary documents are being issued against their names.

The Revenue and Relief department officials requested the Reang tribals to come to their settlement camps at the earliest.

The Reang tribals have been taking shelters in 12 locations in four districts of Tripura. These locations are North Tripura, Dhalai, Gomati and South Tripura.

"The target for the resettlement of these displaced Reang tribals by August 31 last year could not be achieved due to the numerous land-related issues, forest land clearance, fresh troubles, agitations against the rehabilitation and numerous other issues," a Revenue Department official said.

Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), an apex body of the displaced tribals, has appealed to the government to expedite the rehabilitation of the tribals.

The Central government had announced Rs 600 crore packages for the resettlement of the Reang tribals, recognized as a primitive tribe in Tripura.

Also Read: Polling Begins for Tripura Assembly Elections