The election commission has established rights of Bru or Reang refugees housed in camps in north Tripura to participate in ensuing Lok Sabha election in Mizoram. Announcing postal ballot voting facility for the evacuees the commission virtually turned down demand of Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla who insisted the refugees should only be entitled to cast vote inside Mizoram and not in camps.
Officials of Tripura election department which has to facilitate the voting exercise of Reangs stranded in six makeshift camps in Kanchanpur subdivision said on Friday that the commission has set April 1, 2 and 3 to ensure franchise of eligible voters. Though around 35,000 refugees are housed, the Mizoram election department enlisted only 11,500 voters in last enumeration process.
The voters represent 10 assembly constituencies in western Mizoram, but their voting is crucial for lone Lok Sabha constituency of the state. Mizoram National Font (MNF) is expected to put up a fight against Congress which won last Lok Sabha poll.
One voting centre would be set up in each of the camps and the election commission would despatch an observer to oversee the voting. Tripura government has been directed to arrange logistic and security for Election Commission and Mizoram officials and assist transportation of ballot boxes to Mizoram.
The Reang refugees crossed over to Kanchanpur in North Tripura district in October 1997 to escape ethnic violence in Mizoram. Their repatriation remained stalled as Mizoram government refused to budge on some political demands of the refugee leaders, but the former offered lucrative rehabilitation package sponsored by the union home ministry for the returnees.
