HVK Archives: 45,000 Reangs hounded by Church to rootless existence
45,000 Reangs hounded by Church to rootless existence - The Observer
Sujit Chakraborty
()
February 8, 1999
Title: 45,000 Reangs hounded by Church to rootless existence
Author: Sujit Chakraborty
Publication: The Observer
Date: February 8, 1999
Mizoram has shut its doors to any possible return of over 45,000
Reang migrants who had to flee to neighbouring Tripura and Assam
to escape mainly Christian missionary-backed atrocities and
forcible conversions.
Ironically, the national and international media and different
political parties, which are crying themselves hoarse following
clashes between Hindu and Christian tribals in Gujarat, have
conveniently ignored the plight of the hapless Reangs tribals who
are languishing in different makeshift camps of remote areas in
Tripura and Assam.
Similarly, the rape of a nun in Jhabua and Baripada makes
international headlines while rape of over a dozen Reang tribal
women does not even prick the conscience of either the media or
society at large. Leave alone a solution, even awareness of the
plight of hundreds of tribal refugees barely surviving under
inhuman conditions in camps for the past one-and-a-half-year is
missing.
In fact, the root cause of the migration was the direct offshoot
of socio-political consequences of mass conversion by Christian
missionaries since the mid-nineties. Incidentally, Mizoram is a
Christian majority State.
Large-scale conversions triggered ethnic conflict leading to
migration of Reangs from Mizoram to Tripura and Assam, who have
since been languishing in different make-shift camps and
demanding safe return and rehabilitation to their ancestral
homeland.
Bru (a derogatory term for Reang in Mizoram) National Union
President Saibunga said in Silchar recently, "We are being
persecuted by Mizos since we strongly opposed conversions.
Mizoram is a Christian dominated State and they want everybody to
become Christian. Even the Chakmas are facing persecution.
Minorities are not at all safe in Mizoram. Since we raised our
voice against the forcible conversions, we were driven away."
Reang refugees seem to be caught in a no man's land. Persecuted
in Mizoram, which they call their homeland, they are now living
under inhuman conditions in refugee camps in neighbouring Assam
and Tripura since October 1997. And, there seems to be no end to
their woes in sight, with the new Mizoram Chief Minister
Zoramthanga categorically stating that Reangs are residents of
Tripura and not his State. This declaration truly seems to have
put the process of repatriation of refugees in a deadlock.
Mr Zoramthanga's announcement has given a whole new dimension to
the Reang problem. Reangs have recently been saying that they
fled Mizoram as they were being forced to convert to Christianity
in a Christian-dominated State. Thus, the problem has now taken
up a communal colour too, from being essentially an ethnic and
political issue.
More shocking is that the refugees were also deprived of their
voting rights in the last November Assembly elections in Mizoram.
There are now 45,000 refugees in the two states - about 36,000 in
Tripura and another 9,000 in Assam. They are uncertain of
returning to their ancestral land and their only hope now seems
to rest on the Centre to resolve the problem.
These refugees are living under terrible conditions in the make-
shift camps. Last year, over 350 refugees had died following the
spread of gastroenterities and other diseases. Even now, paucity
of medicines and food exist as quantities supplied by the camp
authorities are not sufficient.
Sixteen-year old Maniram Reang, sheltered in a refugee camp in
North Tripura, said, "Our condition is like that of animals
here," adding "We do not know what crime we have done to live
away from our motherland in such terrible conditions in refugee
camps."
Similar camps for refugees are located at Gachirampara, Dosda,
Anandbazar and Kanchanpur.
The major problem affecting the Reangs is fever along with skin
diseases. According to a health worker in a camp, "Over 150
cases of fever are reported each day."
Though sometimes the Voluntary Health Association of Tripura
distributes the medicines free, the quantities are not enough to
overcome the extent of health problems.
The worst hit are the children, who have been deprived of a
normal childhood. "We cannot afford to give our children even
the basic needs of their life. When even we are leading a hand-
to-mouth existence, how can we give the children a life that we
would have wanted to," said 70-year old Dhanu Reang of Anandbazar
refugee camp. His wife echoes the sentiment, "How can these
children grow as happy and healthy human beings. They have got a
tough future in front of them." And she sums up the normal
feeling in the camp, "I feel sorry for them." That's all they can
do at this juncture.
But there are some signs of hope for their children. Purbanchal
Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, a voluntary organisation, has taken up the
task of educating the children. The Ashram has recently
appointed 19 educated youth from Reang refugees to run small
schools. The teachers are also given a stipend of Rs 400 per
month for their efforts, besides books and papers.
The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram volunteers are also active in
Hailakandi district of Assam where nearly 9,000 refugees are
sheltered in different camps including Gutguti, Riflemara and
Ramnathpur, Dattapur, Bishurambasti.
The Ramkrishna Seva Mission, under the stewardship of Maharaja
Khshayatananda, has also taken up the rehabilitation work in
Hailakandi district about 60 km away from Silchar town.
Displaced from their homeland, no matter how hard they wish, they
are caught up in an unenviable situation. While the chief
ministers of Tripura and Assam, Manik Sarkar and Prafulla
Mahanta, have taken up the issue with the Prime Minister and
Union home minister L K Advani seeking Centre's intervention or
an amicable solution to the 15-month-old Reang imbroglio, the
Chief Minister of Mizoram is insisting that "Reangs are illegal
refugees in Mizoram."
Talking to The Observer of Business and Politics at his Aizawl
residence recently, Mr Zoramthanga categorically stated that "the
Reangs came to Mizoram from the neighbouring Tripura and they
should go back to their homeland. There is no question of their
return to Mizoram."
He also denied the report of forcible conversions and said that
"we don't believe in forcible conversions."
In October 1997, there was a mass exodus of Reang tribals - who
are treated as inferior by the Mizos - into Cacher district of
Assam and North Tripura. The trouble started when the Bru
National Union, the political outfit of the Reang, organised Its
general assembly convention at Saipului in September, 1997 and
raised a demand for creation of an Autonomous District Council
for Reangs within Mizoram. The convention also demanded of the
state government to make three Reang dominated assembly
constituencies reserved for Reangs, much to the chagrin and
consternation of majority Mizos.
According to Reang leader Ms Ubati Reang, "The newly elected
Mizoram coalition government has refused to concede the demanded
Rs 1 lakh as compensation for the displaced individuals. The
state government and the Mizo volunteers organisations have
openly announced that they will resist our repatriation move.
And the displaced Reang are now facing intolerable crisis. We
are eagerly waiting for the Centre to resolve the issue."
She also spoke of maltreatment of Reang by Mizos. "Over a dozen
Reang women were allegedly raped by Mizos, besides burning down
about 70 Reang huts by armed Mizos in November 97. This
retaliatory action resulted in exodus of Reang refugees," she
added.
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