Reang or Bru Tribes
ByIAS4Sure / July 5, 2018
- Riang or Bru are one of the 21 scheduled tribes of the Indian state of Tripura.
- The Bru are the second most populous tribe of Tripura after the Tripuris.
- The correct nomenclature for this ethnic group is actually Bru although the name Reang was accidentally incorporated by the Indian government during a census count.
- The Bru can be found all over the Tripura state in India.
- However, they may also be found in Mizoram, Assam, Manipur and Bangladesh.
- Culture and religion
- The marriage system is similar to other Tripuri tribes of Tripura.
- There is no dowry system.
- Dance is an integral part of Reang life.
- The Hojagiri folk dance of Riang sub tribe is rather well known all over the world.
- ‘Buisu’, not ‘bihu’ is the most popular festival of reang tribes.
- The majority of the Reang belong to the Vaishnav school of Hinduism and claim Kshatriya status.
- They are polytheists and believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses.
- Language
- They speak the Reang dialect of Kokborok language which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin and is locally referred to as Kau Bru.
- Why in news? More than 30,000 people belonging to the Bru community, who fled from Mizoram to Tripura in 1997 in the wake of inter-community violence, are set to be repatriated to Mizoram
