Tripura News: Bru resettlement runs into rough weather in Dhalai, angry locals block road
The Bru rehabilitation process seems to run into a rough pitch at Dhalai in Tripura as local residents of Harinchhara under Ambassa Block in the district hit street protesting against Bru resettlement at the village. Citing loss of shifting cultivation land as the reason, residents of Harinchhara blocked the Ambassa-Gandachhara Road on Tuesday.
The blockade threw the traffic movement out of gear. Even as the villagers withdrew the road blockade later on after a discussion with the administrative officials, they are determined not to allow proposed Bru rehabilitation process to be implemented at the village, the protesting residents commented.
The villagers vehemently opposed the decision and argued that their livelihood options would be ruined.
The agitating villagers said, “The administration identified the lands for the resettlement purposes are actually jhum fields. We will lose our livelihood if we allow the resettlement of Brus in our village”.
According to the Harinchhara residents, the decision of setting up of the permanent settlement for Brus was taken without prior intimation to the local villagers and consultation with local representatives.
The agitated villagers alleged that the concerned administration had decided to set up permanent settlement on the jhum farming land of the existing 300 indigenous people in Harincharra village. This decision, according to them, will cause hurdles for the villagers to earn their livelihood.
“Most of the residents of the village are dependent on the traditional jhum cultivation and we use the land for this purposes – however, if Brus get settlement in this area, we would lose our livelihood options”, said an angry protestor.
During the road blockade, they threatened to intensify their movement against the concerned administration if resettlement of Brus is not shifted from the village.
In view of the road blockade, a large police force including DCM Prashenjit Malakar, the BDO and other administrative officials rushed to the spot. After a long discussion between the protestors and the Government Officials, agitators withdrew the blockade and a 10-member delegation of the villagers led by Kashiram Reang met SDM of Ambassa Vaishnabi B and discussed the issue.
“We have made it clear to the SDM during the discussion that we are determined not to allow Bru re-settlement in our village”, Kashiram told the media.
According to the sources, the impasse continues as the villagers refuse to accept administration’s stance of the resettlement.
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