AIZAWL, June 1: Influential
civil societies of Mizoram have
made a fresh representation to
Central Government against
Bru refugees voting in Mizoram
elections from their relief camps
in Tripura.
On Wednesday, representatives
of the State’s biggest civil societies
– Young Mizo Association,
Mizoram Upa Pawl (elder citizens’
association), Mizo Hmeichhe
Insuihkhawm Pawl (women’s
organisation) and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students’ Association) –
met Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary
in charge of North East
under Union Ministry of Home
Affairs, in New Delhi and discussed
the issue of Bru refugees.
Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,
Mizo organisations had vehemently
protested against Election
Commission’s decision to allow
Bru refugees to cast their
votes from relief camps in North
Tripura. They protested against
the voting by Bru refugees on the
ground that the latter had refused
to return to Mizoram despite several
attempts to repatriate them.
They demanded that only those
who had returned to Mizoram
should be allowed to exercise
their franchise.
Despite the protest, Bru refugees
were allowed to cast their
votes through postal ballots in
their relief camps.
As the Mizoram Assembly elections
are due later this year, the
civil societies here are determined
to have their demand fulfilled this
time around.
The NGOs have jointly demanded
that all Bru refugees remaining
in the relief camps be
repatriated before State Assembly
elections and the names of
those refusing not willing to return
be deleted from the electoral
rolls. They also accused the
Brus of leaving Mizoram on their
own (in 1997 and 2009) and making
lame excuses for failing to return
during several repatriation
programmes launched by Mizoram
Government.
The Mizo leaders said the issue
of Bru refugees and their repatriation
has been lingering for
20 years now.
“We told the Home Ministry
Joint Secretary that the Mizos
wholeheartedly welcome the Bru
refugees, who are bona fide citizens
of Mizoram, to return to the
State. But even if the Bru refugees
are willing to return, their
leaders with vested interests
have prevented them from doing
so. These leaders derailed the
Government’s attempts to repatriate
the refugees,” MZP president
L Ramdinliana Renthlei said.
The NGO leaders told the
Home Ministry official that many
attempts to repatriate the Bru
refugees have failed so far as the
Bru leaders made fresh demands
every time the Government
planned a repatriation drive.
“The Bru leaders are making
money from the relief camps.
While they are getting richer, the
refugees are nearly starving,” the
Mizoram NGOs alleged.
The Mizoram NGO leaders
also informed the Home Ministry
official that those refugees
who have returned, feel at home
in Mizoram and do not face any
discrimination from the people or
the State Government.
“We made it clear to the Home
Ministry that if the Bru refugees
want to participate in the Mizoram
elections, they must return
home. Otherwise, they should
no longer be allowed to exercise
their franchise from Tripura,”
the MZP president said about
their representation to the
Home Ministry.
Satyendra Garg assured the
Mizoram NGO leaders that he
would forward their demand to
the Election Commission of India
and sort out the matter before the
State Assembly elections. - Assam Tribune
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