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Given the many false dawns of the past, the agreement between India
and Bangladesh over the repatriation of Chakma refugees to their
homeland in the Chittagong Hill Tracts districts can be welcomed
only with cautious optimism. lie two sides first agreed on the
modalities of repatriation in 1994 and about 5000 Chakma refugees
were even sent back, but the move had to be abandoned in view of
the unfavourable conditions on the ground and, above all, the
refusal of a great many refugees to return for fear of persecution
back home. Things have apparently changed now and the Hasina Wajed
Government has been able to instil a sense of confidence among the
Buddhist refugees. The co-operation extended to New Delhi by Dhaka
in its fight against insurgency in the North-East too has created a
favourable atmosphere for tackling the Chakma problem. The 20-point
economic package announced by the. Bangladesh Government appears
to be good. Each of the families of repatriates is to be given an
ex-gratia payment of 15,000 Takas. Free ration for nine months,
restoration of tribal land and other cash incentives are reassuring
though the way. the package is to be implemented may be a
significant factor in the success of the move.
About 60,000 Chakmas took refuge in India in 1986 to escape
religious discrimination, brutal repression by the Bangladesh
security forces and other forms of harassment. The Ziaur Rahman
Government followed a conscious policy of encouraging plains people
to settle in the tribal lands with the obvious objective of
outnumbering the tribals in their own homeland. Some of the Chakma
refugees who visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts were not convinced
about Dhaka's sincerity in the repatriation. Given the track
record of Dhaka regimes with regard to honouring their assurances
in the past, the refugees' fear was not misplaced. Often, it was
seen that some Bangladesh officials' visit to Tripura was
essentially a ploy to deflect criticism from international human
rights organisations. Things have obviously changed now. One only
hopes that this time the repatriation of Chakma refugees will pass
off smoothly and without recrimination. lie solution of the Chakma
problem will remove a major irritant in relations between New Delhi
and Dhaka. It will also cool passions in the North-East over their
prolonged presence on Indian soil.
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