Death toll in Tripura Bru camp rises to six, blockade continues

AIZAWL: With the death of a four-month- old baby on Monday, six people have died so far in Bru relief camps in North Tripura district, which a forum for displaced Brus claims to be a result of "starvation".

Three persons are admitted to a hospital and the Bru refugees continued to stage road blockade in an area in Tripura bordering Mizoram since Thursday, demanding resumption of free ration and cash-dole to them.

Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) alleged that the people died of "starvation" after the Centre "stopped providing free ration and cash-dole" to the inmates of the relief camps from last month following commencement of the ninth and final repatriation process from October 3. The exercise is scheduled to be completed by November 30.

MBDPF general secretary,

Bruno Msha, told PTI over phone from a relief camp in Tripura that the four-monthold baby, Pigili Reang, daughter of Khondro, died in Hamsapara relief camp on Monday morning.

Sexagerian Bistirung, oneyear-old Akosha and threemonth-old Ojitrai, all of them inmates of Naisingpara relief camp, had died of starvation on Sunday, Msha claimed.

Two inmates of Naisingpara relief camp had died on Thursday, he said. The MPDPF general secretary said that three persons - Ramjoy Reang (65) of Ashapara relief camp, Reang Khumbarboti (60) of Naisingpara relief camp and Dobokumar (55) of Ashapara camp have been admitted to hospital.

"Six people died and three persons were hospitalised due to deprivation of free ration and cash-dole by the Centre from October due to the ongoing repatriation scheduled to be concluded on November 30," he said.