Names of over 6,000 Bru voters deleted from Mizoram's electoral voter list

Aizawl Latest Updates: Mass Deletion of Bru Voters' Names from Mizoram's Electoral List: Over 6,000 Voters Excluded Following Settlement in Tripura under 2020 Accord

In a significant development, Mizoram's officials announced that the names of more than 6,000 Bru voters have been purged from the state's voter list. This removal stems from their relocation to Tripura as part of the agreement reached in 2020.

The deletion process specifically targeted nine assembly constituencies across three districts, namely Mamit, Kolasib, and Lunglei. Out of these, the electoral rolls of Mamit, Dampa, and Hachhek witnessed the elimination of over 4,900 Bru voters' names.

In Kolasib district, 948 Bru voters who have permanently settled in Tripura had their names struck off the electoral rolls of Kolasib, Serlui, and Tuirial assembly constituencies.

Similarly, officials in Lunglei district, located in south Mizoram, reported the removal of 334 Bru voters' names from the electoral rolls of Lunglei South, Thorang, and West Tuipui assembly seats.

While the draft electoral roll, set to be published on August 2, will provide a more accurate count of Bru voters, the final figures will only be confirmed upon the publication of the revised electoral roll on October 4.

Mizoram Takes Matters into its Hands as Bru Voters' Deletion Request Stagnates; New CEO Initiates Action

Due to sluggish progress in receiving deletion requests from the Tripura state election commission through ERONet, the Mizoram election department has stepped in to address the issue of removing Bru voters from the list. This move came after Madhup Vyas assumed office as the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) recently.

The saga of the Bru voters began in 1997 when ethnic tensions escalated following the murder of a Mizo forest officer by former Bru militants. Subsequently, thousands of Bru voters sought refuge in Tripura, where they have been living in transit camps for more than twenty years.

Over the span of a decade, between 2009 and 2019, the Central government and the governments of Mizoram and Tripura made multiple attempts to repatriate the displaced Bru tribals. However, these efforts were not successful.

On January 16, 2020, a breakthrough was achieved when the Centre, along with the governments of Mizoram and Tripura, and representatives of various Bru organizations, signed an agreement. According to this agreement, more than 35,000 displaced Bru tribals, who were hesitant to return to Mizoram during the repatriation process, were granted permission to resettle permanently in Tripura.