3,481 people in Mizoram reject BME

AIZAWL, Sept 22 – At least 3,481 people in the Mizoram-Assam border town of Vairengte refused to be enrolled in the ongoing Biometric Enrolment (BME), officials who conducted the enrolment said.

The officials said the people refused to be enrolled under the BME due to religious beliefs and had also not enrolled during the 2011 Census.

“They were afraid that they would be marked with the Biblical number of the Beast if their names were included in the Census and the BME,” the officials said.

Meanwhile, out of the 8,64,760 to be enrolled in the State, the enumerators have so far enrolled 1,05,548 people till date.

The population of Mizoram in the 2011 Census was 10,97,206 out of which 6,64,760 people were identified to be enrolled under the BME.