GUWAHATI: An anti-corruption watchdog-turned-political party is set to challenge a notification of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the high court that declared Bru (Reang) refugees as “ordinary residents” of Mizoram.
The party, People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM), is currently on a signature campaign to mobilize public opinion against the ECI notification.
Its president Vanlalruata said the Brus of western Mizoram had “migrated” to Tripura in 1998. In the Mizoram elections of that year, as well as that of 2003, they did not take part in voting. However, the ECI declared them as ordinary residents of Mizoram ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he said.
“The ECI said they were given status in analogy to Kashmiri pundits. We think this is illegal. The ECI is not the competent authority to declare any section as ordinary residents,” he added.
He said Kashmiri pandits were declared as ordinary residents of Kashmir irrespective of the places of their settlement in the country.