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A tale of two internally displaced people

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Unlike the internally displaced people in the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), their peers in the North Eastern part of country continue to remain unattended. The tragic indifference of New Delhi has became more evident the way the recent victims of the violence in northern Assam (mostly adivasis) are being treated. Over past 20 years, the seven northeastern states have seen manifold increase of the conflict driven displaced people. While the Centre approves almost Rs10 lakh for the reconstruction of property for Kashmiri Pandits and extended many other facilities, all that a displaced person in the northeast is entitled to is Rs54,000 for reconstruction of property.

"There are 1,01,000 people who have fled their homes in fear. They are cramped in 81 makeshift camps in Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon, Chirang, Sonitpur and Udalguri, who barely get two square meals a day. There are no provisions or specialised care for pregnant women, and lactating mothers lie down on the floor gathering whatever little warmth they can gather. There are no provision for traumatised children and the elderly," says G Dipak Nag, president of the All Adivasi Students Association of Assam, Delhi-NCR Committee.

The displaced adivasis are an addition to the growing body of displaced people in the northeast. There are the 4,00,000 displaced from the riots of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) in Assam that claimed 90 lives in August 2012. Preceding that was the 2008 riots in which 70 people were killed in the Udalguri and Darrang districts that left more than 1,00,000 homeless. Add to that the 50 killed in 1998 in Bodoland that left 80,000 displaced. And the 200 that were killed in Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon in 1996 that left 2,00,000 displaced.

These figures are only for a part of Assam. A study taken by the Asian Centre of Human Rights have estimated that "44,016 ethnic Karbis and Dimasas have been displaced as on October 2005 in Karbi Anglong, NC Hills and Hojai sub-division under Nagaon district. In the Karbi Anglong district, there are 32,871 displaced persons, of which 25,602 are Karbis, 5,600 are Dimasas and 1,669 are other communities." And, according to a 2010 report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, "30,000 Brus displaced from Mizoram state in 1997 and living in difficult conditions in camps in Tripura state had not been able to return, and new Mizo-Bru violence in November 2009 displaced another 5,000 Brus. In Manipur state, 1,500 to 2,500 people had to flee their homes in May 2009 due to counterinsurgency operations by security forces." An estimated 1,00,000 people were displaced in Tripura due to ethnic clashes over the years. And in 2005 another 70,000 were evicted in Tripura for building a fence on the Tripura-Bangladesh border. The centre refused to compensate them, and squared the blame on the state government instead.

The relief measures in these areas are basic in means. For immediate relief, the displaced are given rice, pulses, salt, mustard oil, informs retired Assam government official Utpal Sarma. Sarma says that the State government steps in with two types of relief measures. "Fresh after the people are displaced, we provide them with food, camps made of tarpaulin or sometimes in schools and colleges, food, clothes and medical assistance. Over time, there is the process of rehabilitation, where there people are give Rs 50,000 in cash or in 3 bundles of CI sheets for constructing homes. One sheets measures up to 70 feet. They are also given about Rs 4,000 to buy stuff for their homes," says Sarma. He adds that the state sets aside Rs 3 lakh, while the centre another Rs 5 lakh for those killed by violence.

Principal Secretary (Revenue) Subhas Das, who handles relief work in Assam, says that many peculiarities creep in when it comes to the internally displaced in the state. "Those who have had their houses burned down in the recent violence had their homes in either the forests or in government land. We have given them immediate relief, and for those that cannot go back home, we will look up for other viable options. Sometimes, the displaced are encroachers, and many complexities creep in their displacement. The displaced from the 2008 and 2012 Bodo violence have been fully rehabilitated, but the ones from the 1996 and the 1998 violence never moved back," says Das.

No place to call home

4,00,000 displaced from the riots of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) of Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar and Udalguri and of Dhubri district in Assam that claimed 90 lives in August 2012

1,00,000 homeless from the 2008 riots in which 70 people were killed in the Udalguri and Darrang districts that left more than

80,000 displaced people from the violence in Bodoland in 1998 that left 50 dead.

2,00,000 displaced and 200 killed in ethnic clashes Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon in 1996

3,600 displaced in clashes between Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT) and Naga Rengma Hill Protection Force (NRHPF) in January 2014

44,016 ethnic Karbis and Dimasas displaced due to clashes since October 2005

32,871 displaced Karbis and Dimasas in Karbi Anglong

30,000 Brus displaced from Mizoram state in 1997 and living in difficult conditions in camps in Tripura state had not been able to return

5000 displaced due to Mizo-Bru violence in November 2009

1,500 to 2,500 people had to flee their homes in May 2009 due to counterinsurgency operations by security forces in Manipur

1,00,000 people displaced in Tripura due to ethnic clashes

70,000 evicted in Tripura for building a fence on the Tripura-Bangladesh border

Glaring differences

Kashmiri IDPs Northeast IDPs


Housing: Rs 7 lakh for immoveable Rs 50,000 or 3 bundles of tin sheets, and Rs 4000 for property. And Rs 3 lakh for moveable.

2) Transit Pucca houses, or rent Tarpaulin camps or old accomodation schools and colleges

3) Scholarships Rs 750 per child up to 18 years Books and study material

4) Employment Employment in government jobs, Only in very rare cases financial assistance and vocational training

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