45,000 Reangs hounded by Church to rootless existence

Posted September 20, 2004
"The Observer of Business and Politics", Bombay (INDIA),
dated 8th February 1999.
By Sujit Chakraborty, Silchar

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 Reangs 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 communal colour too, from being essentially an ethic 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 gastroenteritis 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 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 can not 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."

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 vanavasi Kalyan Ashram volunteers are also active in Hallakandi district of Assam where nearly 9,000 refugees are sheltered in different camps including Gutguti, Riflemara and Ramnathpur, Dattapur, Bishurambasti.

The Ramakrishna Seva Mission, under the stewardship of Maharaja Khshayatananda, has also taken up the rehabilitation work in Hallakandi 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 for an amicable solution of 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 Reangs, 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 organisation have openly announced that they will resist our repatriation move. And the displaced Reangs were now facing intolerable crisis. We are eagerly waiting for the Centre to resolve the issue."

She also spoke of the maltreatment of Reangs 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.