Hundreds of Bru families from Mizoram, who had migrated and settled in neighbouring Tripura following ethnic clashes, do not bother about the assembly elections in their home state.
The 40-member Mizoram assembly goes to the polls on November 7.
The names of more than 6,000 Bru voters from nine assembly constituencies in three districts - Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei - have been deleted from the Mizoram voters’ list following their resettlement in Tripura.
“We have no interest in Mizoram elections even if some of us had voted there in the last polls. Now, we are permanent residents of Tripura following the 2020 historic accord. It hardly matters to us who comes to power in that state,” Charles, secretary of Kaskoupata Bru resettlement village in North Tripura district, told PTI.
During the 2018 Mizoram assembly elections, a large number of Bru voters who were then staying in relief camps in Tripura came to their home state and voted at 15 special polling booths created for them in Kanhmun village along the inter-state border after public outrage over their place of voting.
Charles said Brus had tried to live in Mizoram peacefully, but could not because of skirmishes with the majority Mizo community.
“We are happy that the refugee status no longer haunts us. Now, the Brus are permanent residents of Tripura. We are not concerned about Mizoram at all, but are focused on the future of thousands of Bru brothers and sisters,” he
said.
Bru migrant voters had been able to exercise their franchise for the first time in many years during the Tripura assembly elections in February. Special efforts were made to enrol voters from the community.
Nishikanta Reang, one of the members of the Bru tribal community also known as Reangs, is also not concerned about Mizoram elections.
“I have no time to think about elections in Mizoram. Let them rule Mizoram as per their wish because we could not become part of the state even after being born there,” the father of five lamented.
“Sometimes, we remember our land where we were born and raised. But the past is past. We are now focused on the present and future,” Charles said.
Most Brus residing in Tripura today have suffered over two decades of internal displacement from Mizoram.
