Five thousand northeastern people flee Bangalore

16 August, 2012

Assam violence sees another development. After a rumour made the rounds that people from Northeast are being targeted in Bangalore, around 5000 people were seen leaving the city.

THOUSANDS OF fear-stricken people, hailing from the North East, fled Bangalore post the ethnic clashes in Assam between the Bodo tribes and local Muslims. The sense of panic among the people was clearly visible among the people at the Bangalore railway station, who were trying to get in a Guwahati train as soon as the train pulled in the station. As people thronged the doors, crowds forced their ways through the emergency windows.

As reported by ANI, people got the news that due to the Assam killings there would be unrest in the IT city as well. This news swept India's Silicon Valley like wildfire from one family to the next through sms, emails and chat, and soon 5000 people were seen leaving the city. From July 20, after some unidentified men killed four Bodo youths, violence broke out in Assam, and since then people from the north east are living in fear in many Indian cities.

A person leaving Bangalore said, “Everybody is saying that people from the north east are being killed. I am also afraid. They had also hit my friend. We are working at a call centre. They have brutally beaten my friend.”

Another native of Assam, Rahul, who was holding a baby said, “I am looking for tickets to go back as people are targeting natives of Assam. Somebody has beaten a boy from Assam which has infused fear among the people and because of these rumours people are returning to Assam." As the situation turned from bad to worse Karanataka Home Minister R Ashok visited the railway station and asked people not to pay heed to the rumours. He said, “I request northeast students and those who are working in Bangalore don't go to Assam. You stay here Bangalore is very safe. You are staying from the past 10-15 years in Bangalore and upto now, no incidents has happened here they are only rumours.” Home Secretary RK Singh also said that these are just rumours and that people need to discount rumours and avoid spreading them.