Mizoram refugees in Tripura to get postal ballot

A Mizoram election department official told IANS: "Following the directives of the ECI, the officials of three Mizoram districts --Mamit, Lunglei and Kolasib -- would soon start a special drive in the refugee camps in Tripura to include names of eligible voters in the electoral rolls of the state."

After a two-year break, the repatriation of the tribal refugees resumed Sep 30, with around 600 people making up 90 families going back to their homes in western Mizoram.

The tribals fled their villages in Mizoram in October 1997 after ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos over the killing of a Mizo forest official. Many have since refused to return home from camps in Tripura unless their security is guaranteed with tripartite agreement.