The Bru community in Tripura is seeking clarification from Chief Minister Manik Saha after he allegedly made an error regarding their origin during a recent public address. The incident took place on October 8 in Bagafa, South Tripura, where the Chief Minister reportedly stated that the Bru community originated from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and referred to them as “second settlers” in Tripura.
In response to this statement, the Bru People Organisation (BPO) has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s Office requesting a corrigendum. S K Msha, President of the BPO, clarified in a statement that the Brus, also known as Reangs, are actually indigenous to Tripura and have deep historical roots in the region.
The BPO highlighted that prior to India’s partition, the ancient Kingdom of Tripura extended across regions now in Bangladesh, Mizoram, Assam, and Manipur. While some Tiprasa people now reside outside India, the Bru community has always maintained their presence in Indian soil, preserving the heritage, culture, and lineage of Tripura.
Msha emphasized that the Chief Minister’s statement, though unintentional, has caused distress and misunderstanding within the Bru community, especially after its circulation on social and digital media. The BPO is urging Chief Minister Saha, who is currently in Delhi, to clarify the ancestral and historical identity of the Bru community.
“We believe that a clarification from the Chief Minister would help heal the emotional wounds, uphold historical truths, and promote social harmony and unity,” Msha stated.
The Bru people were displaced from Mizoram during ethnic violence in the 1990s and had been living in relief camps in Tripura. In 2020, a resettlement agreement was signed in New Delhi, leading to over 8,000 Bru families being permanently resettled across various parts of the state.
