Mizoram will go to polls to choose a representative for its lone Lok
Sabha seat on Friday instead of Wednesday, the scheduled day of polling,
the Election Commission has said.
A 72-hour-bandh enforced by some local organisations from Monday had earlier threatened to derail the election process in the state.
These organisations are angry over the Election Commission's decision to allow Bru refugees -- who escaped to the neighbouring state of Tripura nearly 17 years ago in the wake of ethnic clashes with the majority Mizo tribe -- to cast their votes through postal ballots from relief camps in North Tripura.
The agitating groups have been told that the process will not be changed this time but in the future, all efforts will be made to get Bru refugees to return to Mizoram and cast their votes, the Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer told
Note
Mizoram sends just one Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha
Youth organisations, NGOs and women's groups in the state - all extremely influential - have enforced a 72-hour-long bandh across the state from Monday April 07,2014 , which will extend till the polling day on Wednesday, April 9,2014
These organisations are angry over the Election Commission's decision to allow Bru refugees, who escaped from Mizoram to the bordering state of Tripura nearly 17 years ago in the wake of ethnic clashes with the majority Mizo tribe, to cast their votes through postal ballots from relief camps in North Tripura.
Of the 36,000 Bru refugees living in Kanchanpur and Panisagar refugee camps in Tripura for the last 17 years, nearly 11,500 are listed in Mizoram's electoral rolls and they have already cast their vote through postal ballots this week.
Mizo organisations, which are enforcing the bandh across the state, say that all the Bru refugees in Tripura's relief camps should have been sent back to Mizoram ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and asked to cast their vote from the state.
Members of the Bru community left Mizoram of their own free will and failed to return during several repatriation programmes organised by the Mizoram government, they claim.
On their part, Bru refugees in Tripura say the atmosphere in Mizoram is not conducive for their return as they are scared for their lives.
In state capital Aizawl, announcements were made over loudspeakers last evening, urging people not to venture out of their homes till April 10,2014.
All government offices are shut, and no public transport is available in Aizawl or any other city in the state.
People are not venturing out of their homes and the organisations implementing the bandh have set up pickets on all main roads.
A 72-hour-bandh enforced by some local organisations from Monday had earlier threatened to derail the election process in the state.
These organisations are angry over the Election Commission's decision to allow Bru refugees -- who escaped to the neighbouring state of Tripura nearly 17 years ago in the wake of ethnic clashes with the majority Mizo tribe -- to cast their votes through postal ballots from relief camps in North Tripura.
The agitating groups have been told that the process will not be changed this time but in the future, all efforts will be made to get Bru refugees to return to Mizoram and cast their votes, the Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer told
Note
Mizoram sends just one Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha
Youth organisations, NGOs and women's groups in the state - all extremely influential - have enforced a 72-hour-long bandh across the state from Monday April 07,2014 , which will extend till the polling day on Wednesday, April 9,2014
These organisations are angry over the Election Commission's decision to allow Bru refugees, who escaped from Mizoram to the bordering state of Tripura nearly 17 years ago in the wake of ethnic clashes with the majority Mizo tribe, to cast their votes through postal ballots from relief camps in North Tripura.
Of the 36,000 Bru refugees living in Kanchanpur and Panisagar refugee camps in Tripura for the last 17 years, nearly 11,500 are listed in Mizoram's electoral rolls and they have already cast their vote through postal ballots this week.
Mizo organisations, which are enforcing the bandh across the state, say that all the Bru refugees in Tripura's relief camps should have been sent back to Mizoram ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and asked to cast their vote from the state.
Members of the Bru community left Mizoram of their own free will and failed to return during several repatriation programmes organised by the Mizoram government, they claim.
On their part, Bru refugees in Tripura say the atmosphere in Mizoram is not conducive for their return as they are scared for their lives.
In state capital Aizawl, announcements were made over loudspeakers last evening, urging people not to venture out of their homes till April 10,2014.
All government offices are shut, and no public transport is available in Aizawl or any other city in the state.
People are not venturing out of their homes and the organisations implementing the bandh have set up pickets on all main roads.
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