Why the protests against Bru resettlement in Tripura have flared up

Context

• Parts of North Tripura have witnessed violent protests over the proposed resettlement of Brutribals. 

Who are Brus?

• They are a community indigenous to the Northeast, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam.
• In Mizoram, they were targeted by ethnic organisations who demanded that the Brus be excluded from electoral rolls.
• In 1997, 37,000 people of the Bru (or Reang) tribe fled to Tripura from Mizoram, on account of ethnic clashes there.
• Since then, 5,000 have returned to Mizoram while 32,000 remain in camps in Tripura.
• In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

What are the reasons of protest?

• An agreement was signed by the Centre, the two state governments and Bru representatives to allow the remaining 32,000 to permanently settle in the state.
• This led to protests from Bengali and Mizo groups in Tripura.
• They claim that settling thousands of migrants permanently in Kanchanpur sub-division of North Tripura district would lead to demographic imbalance, exert pressure on local resources and potentially lead to law and order problems.