COVER STORY COVER STORY

A
t least 39 children staying in a refugee camp in Tripura have died in the past few months of
what is suspected to be malaria and diarrhea. These children belonged to the Reang commu-
nity who have been languishing in the camps for a decade now after been driven away from
their homes in Mizoram following fierce ethnic clashes with Mizos. Ratnadeep Choudhury finds out
how these refugees face death everyday but hope to return to their homeland.
“We all will die in the same way if no one comes to our res- while reports of camp youths getting involved in drug abuse
cue” says refugee leader Elvis Chorkhy as he tries to console is something very disturbing.
Chitrojoy Reang, whose two sons Brujoy and Babula died And it’s not only children. Hundreds of adult habitants
last night. Chitrojoy stood speechless, as other refugees pre- of the camps are also dying of malaria, diarrhea and other
pared for the cremation of the two brothers who died within water borne diseases which have turned into a routine affair
a spell of 20 minutes. Like Brujoy and Babula, 39 other chil- in the camps of the Reang refugees who want to be better
dren from six Reang refugee camps in North Tripura have identified as ‘Bru’. At least, 19 women have died in the past
died over the past few months. “The number might be even few months, of which some deaths are supposed to be due
more. We started to maintain a record of the deaths only to starvation.
from last August. Many deaths have occurred before that.” 1n October 1997, nearly 35,000 tribals from the Reang
Elvis adds. He is not sure of why the children are community, crossed over from Mizoram to Tripura
dying. “The children are mostly having high following violent ethnic conflicts with Mizos,
fever so we suppose it can be malaria. Diar- the majority tribe in Mizoram. Since then
rhea is also very common among children these people have been left to die in six

Born,
at our camps but the deaths can also be camps in North Tripura – Naisingpara,
due to malnutrition. We are left to see Ashapara, Hazathpara, Kaskau, Khak-
our children die before our eyes; there thang and Hamsapara. Their lives are
is no one to give us medicines” Elvis full of uncertainties: a political solu-
breaks down. tion to their problems is nowhere in
A short walk from the makeshift sight, their repatriation to their home-
cremation ground in the Naisingpara land looks to be a distant dream.
refugee camp in North Tripura’s Kan- Patience is fast running out in their

Raised,
chanpur sub division, we found Solen-
dra Reang and his wife sitting besides
the camp playground and watching the
tiny tots dribbling a ragged football.
Solendra’s two daughters Binota and
Ruponpi, used to play here every eve-
ning. “Now they might be playing with
the angels in heaven. Just last week
South-East Asia has the fourth
largest concentration of refu-
gees in the world. A majority of
camps as the fight with death and dis-
ease has become unbearable for them.
“Now we want a proper date for our
return to out homes in Mizoram. For-
get about our generation, we are wor-
ried about the future of our children.
They have no food, no health care, no
education and no jobs,” says Rabindra

Died
both of them died after suffering from
high fever for a few days. Being a fa-
ther I could not save them but what can
I do? I am a refugee with no money,
no food and even no home,” Solendra
narrates. His neighbour in the camp
Photographs by Debiprasad Bhowmik Choka Reang has lost his lone child
Mungkroiha who was barely one year
the displaced persons, who have
crossed international borders in
this region, are not regarded as
‘refugees’ by the host govern-
ments. They are usually treated
as ‘undesirable aliens’ or ‘illegal
immigrants’. There are no na-
tional laws, which define or dis-
Reang, an octogenarian refugee who
earns a leaving by selling country li-
quor in the neighbouring Damcherra
market.
The refugees get a measly amount
of Rs.5 per day for each adult as cash
dole. As for food relief, each adult in the
camp gets 600gm of rice a day while a

A Refugee
old. The kid died of very high fever.
The nearest dispensary is 6 km away
where they fail to take the ailing pa-
tients since they cannot afford to hire a
vehicle. A doctor visits them once in a
month but it turns out to be very diffi-
cult for him to visit 1600 household in
a day. Water contamination is perhaps
the biggest health hazard in the camp,
tinguish ‘refugees’ from others,
who cross the borders. The gov- minor gets 300gm. “ The refugees of
ernemnts in this region have also Kashmir, the Pandits, get Rs.1000 a
not signed or ratified the 1951 month for every adult, apart from other
UN Convention Concerning the benefits like job reservations. Our cash
Status of Refugees and its 1967 dole is just 10 percent of what they get.
Protocol, the only available UN At least, all refugee problems should be
mechanism for the protection treated equally,” points out Elvis, who
and rehabilitation of refugees. is also the President of the Mizoram Bru
Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF)

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