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Upendra Chakma confirms exodus

Tribal refugees leaving Tripura for Hill Tracts
TAKUMBARI (Tripura).Mar 8: The six refugee camps tn south Tripura district, once sheltering over 74.000 Buddhist tribals from the troubled Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, no more throb with activities with about 20,000 of them leaving the camps and going back to their homeland, reports PTI.
The Buddhist tribals left their country in two batches once tn May 1986 and thereafter in June 1989 after the bloody election to the Chittagong Hill Tracts district council in June 1989.
Many more Bangladesh tribals are preparing to leave Tripura . refugee leaders and government officials told a visiting PTI correspondent.
The Takumbarl refugee camp, the biggest among the six, was left with only 15.554 Inmates, with over 4.000 leaving the camps and shown as “missing." Balai Chakraborty, camp supervisor, said.
On an average, over a 100 refugees are leaving the camps since December last after the fall of president H M Ershad. camp officials said.
The Lebachara refugee camp, the smallest on. is almost half empty as also Pan-chakmapara. Kalboak and Sl-lachare and more were preparing to leave as the elections were drawing closer, a camp official said,
Upendral Lal Chakma. former MP and president of the Refugee Welfare Association. admitted a large number of refugees are leaving and going back to their homeland.
“We are not opposed to anybody voluntarily leaving the camps.' he said. But several Bangladesh! delegations, which visited the refugee camps have alleged that while the refugees are willing to come back, the leaders and guerillas of the Shanti Bahint fighting for autonomy in the hills are holding them back.
While the allegation has yet to be substantiate, a large number of the remaining refugees are ready to go back of given a free passage, camp sources said.
The district level officials, who mediated talks between Bangladesh officials and the refugees, maintained that the government would not allow any sort of Intimidation to keep the refugees back.
The refugees Ijave been provided with free ration, clothes, shelter. besides essential commodities, for which th*- centre has till date spent nearly Rs 100 crore with monthly expenses crossing over Rs 65 lakh, officials said.
The presence of the Chakma refugees has created socio-economic tension in the area as the camp inmates undertook work on daily wage basis violating the camp rules.
Besides the state government had received alarming reports of refugees merging with the local population. Chief Minister Sudhir Ranjan Ma Jumdar said.
The state government, which was constant touch with the centre for an early repatriation of the refugees, also received reports of tribals destroying surrounding forests, selling extra ration and carrying on small trades in violation of the rules.
The change in the political atmosphere tn Bangladesh now has encouraged the people and the administration to favour the repatriation of the refugees.
While earlier, one or two refugee families used to arrive from the hill tracts everyday, no influx has been reported since the last three four months. The refugee leaders have not complained about any major fresh atrocities by the Bangladesh security forces or re-settlers and there has been no reports of Shanti Bahinl guerillas' ambush or raids In recent times.
The refugees were given shelter on humanitarian grounds following atrocities on them in the hill tracts by the security forces and non tribal resettlers.' local resident of adjacent Jatanbarl said. There is no logic for them to stay here anymore '
Leaders of several political parties also feel that the refugees should go back and take part In the democratic process.
The new-found peace not withstanding, refugee leaders are. however, adamant about return.
Though no fresh major atrocities have been commit ted on the tribals in the Chit tagong hill tracts, the army continued to open new camps