Aizawl, Aug. 9: Political parties and NGOs in Mizoram have kickstarted their process of purging the electoral rolls of foreigners.

A co-ordination committee comprising representatives of four NGOs and all political parties of the state has been set up to guide the current intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Mizoram. A statement issued by the panel said it wants clean electoral rolls in Mizoram that would be free of foreigners.

Central Young Mizo Association president Lianzuala today talked to mediapersons along with other members of the committee at the Aizawl Press Club.

He said the intensive revision was being conducted after a gap of nine years. He added that they wanted to ensure that the state’s rolls were rid of foreigners from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The state level co-ordination committee has also set up various panels at the village level that would ensure that foreigners are not enrolled, Lianzuala said.

However, a difficulty has arisen in culling out foreigners from among the Mizo population of the state. Many people of Mizo origin, who had left the state more than 20 years ago, have returned to the country.

While these people could be dubbed foreigners, their true origins lie in Mizoram, which makes their differentiation difficult, he argued. Lianzuala expressed his concern on the enrolment of such voters while referring to a letter issued by an assistant electoral registration officer that had directed supervisors and enumerators to show flexibility when confronting these immigrants.

The responsibility of enrolment of Brus and Chakmas has been given to the students’ organisation, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), which said they have conducted a house-to-house survey of voters in Bru and Chakma-dominated areas, using the last intensive roll revision of 1995 as the baseline.

MZP president Lalrokhuma said there was little they could do about the Brus currently living in Tripura though they were against the Election Commission’s instruction to enrol 5,876 Brus in accordance with last year’s revision of electoral rolls.

On the question of using 1995 as the base year for ensuring that the electoral roll is free of foreigners, the committee said it had informed the poll panel that it wanted 1995 to be the baseline. A reply, however, is awaited. The poll panel had instructed the state to use 1993 as the basis for the intensive revision.