EC yet to decide on Reang refugees' inclusion in Mizoram voter list

The Election Commission is yet to decide whether Mizoram's Reang tribals, who have been living in relief camps in Tripura for the past 18 years, should be included in Mizoram's electoral list or not, an official said here on Monday.

Around 31,300 Reang tribals, who locally call themselves "Bru", have been living in seven makeshift camps in northern Tripura since October 1997 when they fled Mizoram after ethnic troubles following the killing of a Mizo officer.

"Following the Election Commission's instructions, a special summary revision of electoral list of Mizoram is being undertaken by the state election department. The summary revision of electoral rolls would not cover those tribals living in relief camps in Tripura," Mizoram's Joint Chief Electoral Officer F.J. Liantluanga told IANS.

After the poll panel's instructions to carry out special summary revision of the electoral list of Mizoram, Reang leaders took up the matter with the poll panel earlier this month urging inclusion of the tribals sheltered in Tripura camps in the revised electoral list.

Refugee leader Bruno Msha said the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum, the lone organisation of the refugees, in separate letters to the Election Commission and Mizoram election department urged that a special summary revision be conducted in seven relief camps as was done earlier.

"If the Reang refugees remained out of the revision process, it would be a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of genuine Indian citizens," Msha, general secretary of the MBDPF, told IANS.