Thousands of Kuki-Zo people from Manipur, displaced by ethnic violence and seeking refuge in Mizoram, may face disenfranchisement in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as no voting arrangements have been made for them in their host state.
According to a Mizoram election official, discussions are underway among Election Commission officials to facilitate voting for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from Manipur, but no written order has been issued yet to allow them to vote from Mizoram.
Data from the Mizoram Home Department reveals that 9,196 individuals, including adults and children, have sought shelter in Mizoram, with 1,340 residing in relief camps and the rest living outside.
In Manipur, where voting for two Lok Sabha seats will take place in April, no provisions have been made for the displaced Kuki-Zo community members sheltering in Mizoram.
These individuals, with ethnic ties to the Mizos, sought refuge in Mizoram following ethnic violence in Manipur last May.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar recently announced plans to enable displaced individuals in Manipur to vote from their respective camps, although Manipur's Chief Electoral Officer clarified that the scheme applies only within the state's borders.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum reported that displaced Kuki-Zo people from Manipur are not only sheltering in Mizoram but also in Delhi and various other cities across the country.
Past instances have seen the Election Commission permitting IDPs to vote from their host states. For instance, when thousands of Mizoram's Bru people fled to Tripura in 1997, they were allowed to cast their votes through postal ballots in relief camps.
However, exclusive polling stations were established on the Mizoram-Tripura border in 2018 following opposition from Mizoram civil society groups.
Similarly, Kashmiri IDPs residing in Delhi have been permitted to vote from the national capital.
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