Bru people living in Tripura camps unlikely to vote in Mizoram by-poll

Aizawl/Agartala, Oct 28 (PTI) Bru community people, who are voters of Mizoram but living in relief camps in neighbouring Tripura for many years, are unlikely to exercise their franchise in the October 30 by-poll to Tuirial assembly seat unless special arrangements are made for them, a leader of the tribe said on Thursday.

The polling stations are far from the relief camps and it is difficult for the people to go there on their own, said Elvis Maska, president in charge of Mizoram Bru Indigenous Democratic Movement (MBIDM), an organisation of the internally displaced people.

Thousands of the Bru tribal people have been living in six relief camps in Tripura since 1997. They had fled their homeland Mizoram to reach the neighbouring state because of ethnic clashes. By now, their number has risen to over 30,000.

“I don’t think the Bru voters will cast their votes in the bypoll unless special polling booths are set up at Kanhmun (on Mizoram-Tripura border) like in the past elections. For poor people like us, it will be difficult to go to our respective polling stations at our own expense. Many senior voters may not be able to travel that far,” Maska told PTI.

Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Jawahar had on Tuesday said 663 Bru voters are currently living in relief camps in Tripura and there is no plan to set up special polling booths for them.

“We want to cast our votes if polling booths are set up at Kanhmun. We are waiting for the authorities to make such an arrangement. However, NGOs of Mizoram are opposed to it,” Maska said.

Mizoram Joint CEO David Liansanglura Pachuau said they have not received any appeal from the Bru community to set up special polling booths for them till date. Political parties and civil society organisations such as Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) had opposed any special arrangement for the Bru voters and demanded deletion of their names from Mizoram's voter list as they will live permanently in the neighbouring state.

After several attempts to repatriate the Brus to their home state failed, arrangements have been made to resettle them in Tripura.

A Tripura government official involved in the resettlement of the Brus said many of them have received Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) and the process for giving the same to others is on.

"So, it will not be possible for them to go and vote in another state," said the official who refused to be quoted.

The total number of these internally displaced people has risen to over 30,000 now and there are more than 4,400 families. Following an agreement signed in January last year among representatives of the Bru community, the Centre and the governments of Tripura and Mizoram, it was decided that they will be allowed to resettle permanently in Tripura.

Four candidates are in the fray for the Tuirial by-poll, which was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Andrew H Thangliana in August. They are K Laldawngliana of the Mizo National Front, Laltlanmawia of the Zoram People’s Movement, Chalrosanga Ralte of the Congress and the BJP's K Laldinthara.

Votes will be counted on November 2. PTI COR JOY NN NN