Mizoram NGOs boycott Lok Sabha polls, call indefinite bandh

Guwahati, April 2, 2019:

The NGO Coordination Committee consisting of the parent NGOs of Mizoram Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP), Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), and Mizo Students' Union (MSU) held a meeting today where they came to the decision to boycott the Lok Sabha polls. A statewide indefinite bandh has been called in Mizoram starting from April 8, 2019.

The bandh has been called on the issue of the polling location for the Bru refugees residing at Tripura-transit camps.

The NGO Co-ordination committee had demanded to have the Brus residing in Tripura Transit Camps cast vote in their respective polling stations without the necessity to create special polling stations. In the MLA 2018 election, special arrangements had been made for those residing in transit camps to cast their vote in Kanhmun village of the Mizoram-Tripura border.

Fifteen polling stations were set up in Kanhmun village where around 52% of the total 11,987 Bru voters had cast their votes.

The NGOs have also made an appeal to the commercial vehicles and private vehicles not to cooperate with the government in using their vehicles for election-related purposes.