Mizoram: A Tragedy of Our Making

- Vanengmawia


The movement and settlement of the Reang/Brus in Mizoram started few years before 1950 and continued in small hordes or number thereafter.

The original home of the Reangs is said to be Maian tlang (a hill) near Rangamati of Bangladesh from where they gradually migrated to Tripura.

The Reang movement was due to their uprising against the Tripura Maharaja that took place during the1940s and their movement and settlement in Mizoram started around 1950s.
The Reangs as a whole lived in 35 scattered villages in Mizoram. (A brief Account of Riangs in Mizoram, 1986).

On 17 June 1954, Chief of Rengdil named Lalzamanga asked permission to the Deputy Commissioner for the settlement of 12 Brus in his villages which was objected by the Deputy Commissioner and replied, “No further steps should be taken without prior permission on the settlement of Brus in his villages.” (No. 2228 of 9.8.54, Deputy Commissioner Letter to Chief Lalzamanga).

The Mizo chiefs, for their high demand for taxes to the outsiders' simply allotted house sites to the Brus.

Further, the Chiefs paid tribute and other payable taxes to the British and in order to enlarge their revenue, the Mizo Chiefs initiated taxes from the settlers along the border areas without the consent of the colonial ruler and allowed many Reang families to settle in Mizoram.

Hence, the Reangs population increased and in the pre-independent era, the Chiefs were the sole authority to permit Reangs settlement in the Mizo Hills.

Such practices continued when the Village Council superseded the Chiefs’ rights.
The Village Council Presidents allocated lands for shifting cultivations, gardening and for residential and trading purposes to the Reangs and in return, the Village Council's authority collected house taxes. (Memo No. 1/1/58/loose/239 dated Aizawl 1 September 1958, Collection of house tax by the Village Council Authority)

In the year 1991, several Reang youth felt the need to launch an organisation, which would represent and fight for the cause of their community.

In the aftermath, the Bru National Union (BNU) was established in July 1991 and it was renamed as Bru Student Association (BSA) in 1993.

The Bru National Union (BNU) in their special conference held at Saipuilui village (to the west of Aizawl) on 23 and 24 September 1997, resolved to demand a separate Autonomous District Council for the Reangs in Mizoram.

The Government, as well as several Non-Governmental Organisations were extremely aware of such developments as they regarded it as an attempt to dismember Mizoram.

The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), categorically demanded and appealed to the BNU leaders to withdraw their demand for ‘Bru Autonomous District Council' (BADC).

As there was no positive response, the MZP issued a 'Quit Mizoram' notice against the Reangs. Due to fear of the anticipated repercussion, a number of Reang families started migrating to Tripura between 15 and 21 October 1997. (Vide No. CB/MMT/BRU/98/75 Dt. 10.9.1998, A Note On the Reang (Bru) Migration From Mizoram to Tripura).

Such apprehension was not called for by the MZP, but the damaged had been done beyond repair due to self-made fear psychosis. In order to lay claims to their right, few Reangs took a military stand and gradually developed an underground movement called Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF).

The BNLF underground became the sole group of the Reangs that had started arson, kidnapping, ambushing vehicles, etc. Soon, tension escalated when a Mizo game watcher under Mizoram Forest Department inside the Dampa Tiger Reserves in Mamit district was killed by the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF). (Vide No. CB/MMT/BRU/98/75 Dt. 10.9.1998)

The Government of Mizoram, as well as the public, decided to retaliate in order to maintain security in the region.

But, subsequent information and intelligence reports revealed that the BNLF took advantage of such situation by disposing of the properties of Reang households eventually.

On 23 October 1997, BNLF made a general declaration that all Reangs should leave Mizoram before 26 November 1997.

Again, on the last week of November 1997, BNLF issued a verbal order to members of all Reang communities of Aizawl district to leave Mizoram before 25 December 1997, or face serious consequences.

 Subsequently, on 8 March 1998, the Bru Student's Union (BSU) held a meeting at Rifle Mara in Assam and issued an order to all Bru villages in Mizoram to 'Quit Mizoram' before 22 March 1998, and those that remain would be looked upon as collaborators and no mercy would be shown to them.

(The Brus at a Glimpse, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) General Headquarters, Mizoram Aizawl, 2009).

After a decade, on 13 November, 2009, an 18 years old Mizo youth, Zarzokima of Bungthuam Village was killed by some Bru fanatics.

 Fearing the anticipated repercussion, about 7000 Brus migrated to the Tripura refugee camps.

From all evidence and official report, it appears that the Reang migration to Tripura was due to fear of the BNLF and BSU leaders, who constantly toured the Reang villages intimidating the people.

 In truth, the Mizos played a limited role in such act towards the Reang exodus.

False propaganda, accusing the Mizos of such development became the central argument for the Reang leaders in their plea to determine themselves to the central authority.

The adherent form of physical coercion in a form of terrorism against non-combatants, especially towards the civilians had deeply hurt the sentiment of the Mizos.

The disruption of peace and security in order to achieve their political objectives by the Reang militants had compelled several non-government agencies to oppose any form of political settlement in favour of the Reangs.

Mizoram has witnessed a large amount of illegal immigrants of Brus being enrolled as citizens of India.

Rather than fighting against its citizens, the Indian authority must take necessary measures to check such illegal activities. The Indian authority must be conscious that Mizoram cannot be won by invading it nor can win the hearts of the people at gunpoint.

Rather than curtailing the influx of the illegal immigrants, some unscrupulous politicians have manipulated this new population as an 'extra vote bank'.

Mizoram today is caught in between its civilization constraints of ethnicity and modernization.

While on the one hand, the leaders propagate democratic values but at the operational level they depend on their ethnic vote bank philosophy and cultivate ethnic activities to acquire political power.

 This saga of vote bank quest has plunged the state formation at risk as it has ensued social disruption. All such dilemma arose out of voracity, negligence and delayed intervention. It is undeniably a ‘tragedy of our making’.

Hold your heads high, rise up, stand united and grow strong. As every end of a dark night brings dawn, we will, "YES WE WILL" one day see the light.