-Ezrela Dalidia Fanai
Mizoram’s Chief Electoral Officer, P.Jawahar on October 6 inspected the polling stations at Lungdai, Serkhan, Hortoki, Kawnpui, and Thingdawl in the run-up to the upcoming Tuirial (ST) AC By-Election slated for October 30, 2021.
He also addressed the issue of Bru refugees in the electoral rolls of the Tuirial constituency in his meeting with local organisations.
Later the ECI’s chief officer in Mizoram also inspected the designated counting halls and the strong room in the town of Kolasib which will be used after voting is over.
In a meeting with various political parties, NGOs, and election officials in the Kolasib Deputy Commissioner office’s Conference Hall, CEO P.Jawahar informed those present that the ECI is well aware of the Bru issue.
He also said that various political parties and NGOs have recommended scrapping the names of Bru voters, those who have returned in Tripura, from the State’s Electoral Roll.
A few days back Mizoram’s main opposition party, the Zoram People’s Movement had shot a letter to Mizoram’s CEO asking him to bar Brus settled in Tripura from coming into Mizoram to cast their votes.
Also speaking at the meeting Thomas D.Lalengliana, President of YMA’s Sub Headquarters, Kolasib stated that any form of special polling booth for Bru voters shall be strongly opposed by the YMA and various political parties.
According to a report in The Hindu, nearly 40,000 Brus fled to Tripura following ethnic tension triggered by the murder of a Mizo forest guard in 1997. Nearly 11000 Brus have returned to Mizoram till November 2019 when the ‘quadripartite agreement’ was signed for settling the resy in Tripura. The parties to the agreement were the Union, Tripura and Mizoram governments and Bru organisations.