Kuki body opposes Manipur voter roll revision, flags exclusion of 59,000 displaced people

In its statement, the Kuki Inpi Manipur said: “The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Manipur is unacceptable under the prevailing circumstances and raises serious concerns regarding fairness, inclusivity, and administrative responsibility. The Kuki Inpi Manipur had expected that the government would first put in place adequate and practical arrangements to address the situation of the approximately 59,000 Kuki-Zo internally displaced persons (IDPs), who continue to remain displaced and are unable to return to their homes to participate in this exercise”.

Proceeding with such a critical electoral and administrative exercise without ensuring the participation of a large and vulnerable section of the population undermines the very principles of democratic representation, it said.

“It is therefore imperative that the government, along with the concerned district administrations, take immediate and concrete steps to establish accessible and inclusive mechanisms that will enable all affected IDPs to be duly enrolled and participate in the revision process,” it added.

The Indian Express had reported that the ECI is considering deploying special Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for internally displaced persons in Manipur, and that arrangements are likely to be made for around 14,000-15,000 IDPs eligible to participate in the SIR exercise. According to the EC, there are 20.91 lakh electors spread across 2,996 booths in Manipur.