Author: Report
Publication: Patheya Kan (Hindi
weekly from Jaipur - free translation of the excerpt)
Date: April (1st fortnight)
2004
A number of resolutions were passed
by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh All India Representative Conference held
at Jaipur. The first one concerned about the Jammu Kashmir Permanent Resident
(Illegal) Act 2004. An excerpt about the 2nd resolution is given below.
Since last 6 years, after Governments
of Mizoram, Tripura and Assam as well as government of India being made
aware by BRU National Union, Young BRU Association as well as Vanavasi
Kalyan Ashram of the ethnic cleansing and the atrocities being committed
on the Riangs, no effective steps have been taken to redress their misery
or rehabilitation. All India Representative Conference Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh express its intense dissatisfaction over
it.
The second largest community of
Mizoram BRU (Riang) has been a victim of the MZP (Mizo zirlai Pawl) connected
with the Mizo the largest community in Mizoram. In 1997, out of the 7 lakh
population, the population of Riang community was 85,000 to l lakh. But
for a long time, they were victims of a well-planned discrimination and
atrocities and during the violence of 1997; they were hounded out on a
large scale. Unfortunately, at the time of violence, Mizoram Government
was a silent witness or was a patronizing the armed rioters. Hence,
about 50,000 Riang Mizoram were forced to leave their villages and had
to take asylum in Tripura and Assam. Out of them, about 35,000 refugees
are even now are living in the 7 refugee camps of Kanchanpur Sub-Division
of Tripura.
The condition of the refugees living
in the camps is extremely pitiable. Food, education, drinking water, medical
facilities, and public sanitation all are very insufficient. For their
help and service only Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram and some other social service
institutions have come forward.
All India Representative Conference
states that Print and Electronic Media has deliberately overlooked the
atrocities on Riangs and their life getting shattered and become refugees.
So-called Human Rightists and many political parties have kept a mysterious
silence. They have not paid attention even to the fact that out of these
Riang people, 20,000 legal Riang voters' names have been removed from the
Voters List.
However, National Human Rights Commission
became active at a very late state, but it has accepted in its statement
that in fact, there has been atrocities committed on Riangs and they are
all the legal residents of Mizoram. The Commission has also declared
that all BRU refugees should be brought back and they should be rehabilitated
in a proper manner, which is the responsibility of Mizoram Government.
This Conference demands that all
displaced Riangs must be rehabilitated in their original villages with
all security and their names should be again reinstated in the Voters list.
Till this happens, the conditions of living in the Refugees camps must
be improved and made worth living.
The Conference after considering
all the facets of the problem, appeals to the Government of India and Mizoram
to organize an authority like Riang Development Hill Council for the protection
of Riang and other communities.
