187 Tripura people flee their homes

The news of 187 Bangladeshi indigenous people fleeing their homes and trying to cross over to India gives an indication of the desperate circumstances that led them to do this.  The members of the Tripura community were compelled to leave Kalenga Reserve Forest in Habiganj due to alleged harassment and threats of eviction from forest officials, fleeing their country. 

All 187 individuals have been subsequently brought back to Bangladesh by the BGB after they had been apprehended by BSF while trying to cross the border. The question is – what now? Have the conditions in the villages from where they fled changed in any way to make them feel safe again? Is there any guarantee that officials will not randomly evict them from their homes as they have done to several people?

According to a divisional forest official, a scuffle ensued after a forest officer had reprimanded some villagers for failing to do their duties related to guarding the forest which they are apparently obligated to do as per an agreement made in the early 70s. This argument sounds flimsy at best and incredible at worst. It is inconceivable that a small rift as this can lead to such a significant exodus.

It is a shame for any sovereign country to have its citizens fleeing their homeland because their physical security cannot be guaranteed. We expect the government to step in and take action against those officials who have led to this exodus and allay the fears of this community so that they can live in their own homes in peace.