| Abstract: | One of the significant instances of internal displacement in Northeast India is the 1997 relocation of the Reang, also referred to the Bru tribe, from Mizoram to Tripura. About 30,000 Reangs were compelled to flee Mizoram and live in relief camps in North Tripura for 23 years as a result of ethnic tensions between the Mizos and the Reangs. The government made multiple attempts to return them to Mizoran between 1997 and 2019, but the number of displaced families remains the same. The Quadripartite Agreement, which was signed in January 2020, marked the transition from repatriation to permanent resettlement in Tripura. The main reasons for the 1997 displacement are examined in this paper, along with the Reangs’ political standing in Mizoram and the government’s attempts to facilitate their return between 1997 and 2019. It also outlines the main rehabilitation and resettlement policies and addresses the shift from repatriation to permanent resettlement under the 2020 Agreement. This paper uses a qualitative research methodology and is primarily based on secondary data obtained from government reports, policy documents, the Indian Census, newspapers, archives, books, and scholarly journals. It examines the history of the Reang tribe, their displacement, and the government’s response using descriptive and historical methods. The study finds out that the socioeconomic marginalization, demands for autonomy, cultural differences, political mobilization, and ethnic violence are some of the factors that contribute to displacement. In 2020, the policy was altered to permanent resettlement in Tripura due to the prolonged displacement and the failure of repatriation attempts. The study highlights the shift from immediate relief and repatriation to long-term focus on rehabilitation and permanent settlement. |
