In a first, Bru migrants vote in Tripura's Lok Sabha polls after resettlement

Bru migrants who have resettled in Tripura voted forthe Lok Sabha elections in the northeastern state for the first time since their permanent resettlement, which occurred as a result of a four-party agreement involving the central government, and the state governments of Tripura and Mizoram, back in 2020.

The refugees fled from violence in Mizoram 27 years ago. They had previously taken part in the 2023 Assembly elections in Tripura. In the preceding three Lok Sabha elections (2009, 2014, and 2019), the Bru migrants voted as constituents of Mizoram.

Laldingliana, the general secretary of the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Coordination Committee (MBDPCC), stated that the majority of Bru peoplecast their votes peacefully since the morning. They voted at their closest polling stations across various locations, including a newly established booth at Laungang in the South district, where Bru migrants were resettled as part of the agreement.

Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) general secretary Bruno Msha said, “We are casting our votes for the Lok Sabha polls in Tripura for the first time. We took part in three other Lok Sabha elections while we stayed in Tripura before but we never cast votes in any of those elections in Tripura”.

Bru migrants' voting and resettlement

In previous Lok Sabha polls, Bru migrants voted at transit camp facilitation centresin 2009 and 2014, and special polling centresin Mizoram's Mamit district during 2019.

Around 32,000 Bru, also known as Reang, fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes in 1997, seeking refuge in Tripura.

After two decades, a quadripartite agreement was signed on July 3, 2018, aiming to repatriate 5,407 Bru families, totalling 32,876 people, from temporary camps in Tripura to Mizoram.

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Initially housed in six relief camps in North Tripura, a renewed agreement in 2020 proposed permanent resettlement in Tripura. The agreement also promised inclusion in Tripura's electoral rolls, marking significant steps toward resolving the long-standing displacement issue and facilitating their integration.

(With inputs from agencies)