Agartala: Rajib Bhattacharjee, the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Tripura Pradesh unit, on Wednesday, said that the “refugee tag” often attached to the identity of displaced Bru migrants was removed because of the efforts of the BJP-led state and central governments.
“The Chief Minister of the first BJP government could sense the pain and agony of being branded as landless. He spoke to his Mizoram counterpart and later the Government of India to ensure that our brothers and sisters could get permanent settlements. You are now citizens of this state, and a host of benefits are being extended from the central government, right from rehabilitation to housing and monthly pension. You can now exercise your voting right without any fear,” Bhattacharjee told a gathering of Bru families at Ambassa.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has already started building a campaign centering on the success of the resettlement of Brus in different locations of the state, even though the process is yet to be completed.
The majority of the Brus are settled in areas that fall under the East Tripura parliamentary constituency, which is reserved for a Scheduled Tribe candidate. BJP leader Rebati Tripura is the sitting Member of Parliament from the constituency.
“For 23 long years, my Bru brothers and sisters were treated as refugees. Access to basic amenities like education and health was limited. All of you were compelled to live inside the relief camps. The CPIM-led state government barely did anything for you. Their friends (Congress) in the center were equally blind to the condition of lives in the relief camps. I am glad to note that a decent number of Bru voters here are joining the party that actually did something for them,” said Bhattacharjee.
A total of 482 voters from 158 families joined the BJP in the presence of senior leaders at Jiulcherra Bru settlement at Ambassa in Tripura’s Dhalai district. All the voters used to be TIPRA Motha supporters earlier.
In an oblique reference to the opposition TIPRA Motha, he said, “Some political parties exist in the state who would try to steal the credit. They will certainly come here to tell you that because of their intervention, the central government was convinced to ink the quadripartite agreement. Don’t believe them. They have zero contributions. They are the experts in plotting stories and making tall claims.”
The senior BJP leader also assured that the existing problems faced by the Bru families living in the new villages would be solved very shortly. “I am making a commitment here. BJP has a tradition of keeping its promises. Don’t worry. I have received the written demand draft. Once I reach Agartala, I will personally take up the issues with Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha for an immediate solution,” he added.
Bhattacharjee, in his day-long tour to Dhalai district, attended a total of three joining events at Kachucherra and Dhalai district party headquarters.
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At the party headquarters, 567 voters joined the saffron camp, severing ties with TIPRA Motha and CPIM. At Kachucherra, as well, hundreds of opposition party workers joined the BJP.
Bhattacharjee was flanked by BJP MLA Sambhu Lal Chakma and party General Secretaries Bipin Debbarma and Bhagaban Das, respectively.
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