Assam Rifles has been assigned the task of the assisting the ministry of home affairs and Mizoram state government in training the youths of repatriated Bru community, who are lodged in camps at Tripura-Mizoram border of the North-East.
Bru are Burmese tribes who were driven out of their homeland in Mizoram decades back. Around 32,800 people of around 5413 families live in dire straits in camps at Kanchanpur in North Tripura. Segregated, it produced one of the worst militant outfits—Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) which was allied with NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura). BNLF is currently on ceasefire with Mizoram government. NDA government, under Atal Behari Vajpayee, had initiated repatriation talks with the community, known as Reang community in terms of its dialect and tribe sect.
The UPA government has expedited the process and Narendra Modi government had decided a few months back that the community would be brought back to their base at Mamit district of Mizoram from February 17 2017.
The Assam rifles, the paramilitary force in North east, would train the youths of this community and assist them in getting jobs. That includes their entry into Indian army or any paramilitary force.
A senior official of Assam Rifle said, "Our ITI (Industrial Training Institute), located at Silchar, would reserve 20 percent vacancy for Bru community. Selection of candidates shall be done by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Skill Development ministry will accord permission to Assam Riffles to run certified courses.”
The courses shall be run in the field of diesel operators, computer operators, carpenters, welders and electricians.
The officer said that Assam Rifles would also assist MHA in the Bru repatriation process by conducting training for the returnees for their final selection in the security forces, Indian army or paramilitary forces.
“Kanchanpur operating base of the Assam Rifle has been identified as the nodal base for conduct of training. Around 100 boys are being accommodated, trained and prepared to undergo the actual selection process in the forthcoming recruitment drive in 2107,” said the officer.
He also said that a special Assam Riffles rally to recruit tradesmen and personnel in technical trades would commence in March 2017, a month after the commencement of repatriation."
An Assam Rifle spokesman said, “The district magistrate of Kanchanpur has been approached to accord permission and facilitate this endeveour.”
Last tear Mahesh Kumar Singhalia, special secretary (Internal Security) in MHA, visited Mizoram and took final decision of shifting the Brus. Earlier they were given voter rights by the Election Commission of India on the request of Mizoram government.
Now it is to be seen whether the community, which has been living in isolation since last three and half decades, responds to the call of the government or not.