Aizawl: The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizoram’s apex student organisation, has expressed its full support for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken by the Election Commission of India, but has raised concerns about the inclusion of foreign nationals in voter lists.
The student body urged authorities to ensure that the SIR exercise in Mizoram is conducted in a manner that guarantees only genuine residents and citizens of the state are included in the electoral rolls.
“We ask authorities to carry out meticulous verification,” C Lalremruata, MZP President, stated, adding that “our position is clear: the electoral roll must remain accurate and transparent.”
Long history of concerns
The president stated that it has long been involved in efforts to protect the interests of Mizoram and its people. The organisation recalled its past concerns over the inclusion of alleged foreign nationals, particularly Chakmas who had reportedly entered from Bangladesh, in the electoral rolls despite not being Indian citizens.
“For many years MZP has constantly raised concerns regarding inclusion of illegal immigrants in the electoral rolls,” said Lalremruata.
The student body noted that during the intensive revision of electoral rolls in December 1995, its members assisted election officials in verifying voter lists across various parts of Mizoram. According to MZP, thousands of names of alleged foreign nationals were removed from the rolls during that exercise, including more than 4,000 voters in the Tlabung constituency alone.
MZP also recalled organising a long march from Aizawl to Chawngte in May 1996 to press for the removal of alleged Chakma foreigners from Mizoram.
Current concerns
In the current electoral revision process, MZP said it has examined electoral data from certain constituencies where it believes the number of foreign nationals has increased significantly.
Comparing the 2005 electoral rolls with the latest 2024 rolls, the organisation claimed to have found unusually high voter growth in Chakma-dominated areas, the emergence of 97 villages that did not exist in the 2005 rolls, cases of individuals allegedly holding citizenship ties to both India and Bangladesh, and entries without house numbers.
“We are concerned about an increase in voter numbers,” the President told EastMojo. “We ask ECI to conduct an intensive revision impartially. Every ineligible voter should be identified.”
The organisation urged election authorities to remove all names found to have been included in the electoral rolls in violation of the law. It appealed to District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to carry out their responsibilities honestly and accurately and to take action to prevent the inclusion of non-citizens in voter lists.
MZP said it plans to submit a formal complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer regarding these findings. It has urged authorities to closely scrutinise 195 villages identified in its complaint during the ongoing SIR process and to conduct further verification in coordination with district election officials. The president told EastMojo that the complaint had been submitted by the time this report was published.
Historical issues with electoral roll revision
Electoral roll revision in Mizoram has been contentious for decades, with concerns about foreign nationals dominating the discourse.
In January 1995, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl served “quit notices” to Chakmas who had entered the state after 1950. Thousands of Chakma names were subsequently deleted from electoral rolls. In January 1996 alone, 2,886 Chakma voters were struck off the rolls in Aizawl district. In some cases, entire villages were left out following individual complaints, with hardline Mizo activists essentially deciding who remained on the electoral rolls, enabled by the state government.
It was in this context that Chakma social leaders demanded the creation of a Union Territory for the community. The Central government in 1997 set up a Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions, which recommended the extension of the autonomous district council.
2018 CEO Controversy
In 2018, the Election Commission of India replaced Chief Electoral Officer SB Shashank. Ashish Kundra was appointed as the new CEO following protests in the state on November 6 and November 7 demanding Shashank’s removal.
The conflict between Shashank and the state government and civil society organizations arose after he complained against Mizoram’s principal secretary (home), Lalninmawia Chuaungo, for allegedly interfering with the election process in the state.
Shashank had claimed that Chuaungo had played an active role in the revision of electoral rolls of Bru refugees from Mizoram, who were forced to flee to Tripura after ethnic violence in 1997. The complaint led to Chuaungo’s removal, which resulted in massive protests against Shashank outside the CEO’s office in Aizawl. The Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding Shashank’s removal.
Shashank left the state after being summoned by the Chief Election Commissioner in Delhi, resulting in the withdrawal of the agitation.
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