Reassurances fail as rumours continue to scare Northeast people

New Delhi: The situation in Bangalore continues to remain tense as rumours continue to scare people from the Northeast despite appeals by the state and central government to not panic. Three more trains left for Guwahati on Thursday, packed with professionals and students from the Northeast who were heading home.

Throughout the day on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Karnataka Home Minister R Ashok, Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachuau and Bangalore Police Commissioner BGJyothiprakash Mirji promised and assured that the people from the Northeast would be protected and that there was nothing to worry.

However, the assurances did not seem to be working. More and more people have been leaving Bangalore. State officials claim that around 20,000 people from the Northeast have already left Bangalore, fearing a backlash over the Assam violence.

What is interesting though is that the source of the rumours - which is being probed by the IB and the state police - is yet to be ascertained.

"There is no problem, we want to go back home as our parents are calling us. They are giving us all security and protection but we don't want to take chances, regarding any violent attacks," said one of the students leaving Bangalore.

The Home Ministry, too, has ordered surveillance of social media sites to check for people who are distorting facts and circulating false information. A similar situation persists in Mysore, too, where a Tibetan was killed just a few days ago. Hyderabad, too, is seeing a mass exodus.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also reassured the country. He said, "At all cost we will ensure peace and harmony in the country. We would like all state governments to work with local communities to this effect."

Apart from Bangalore and Hyderabad, there were concerns in Maharashtra as well. In Mumbai's Kurla Terminus, hundreds of people from the Northeast were seen heading home despite assurances from Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan that full security would be provided to them.

Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil would be meeting Pune police officials to discuss security arrangements. Panic hit the city when a few Northeast students were attacked in the Camp area last week. Thirteen people have been arrested for the attack. The police have also dismissed the MMS clip doing the rounds, calling it doctored images of the alleged violence in Assam.

Meanwhile, the BJP is expected to move an adjournment motion on the issue in Parliament on Friday, even as there is a rising demand for politicians to move beyond partisan politics.

Big questions:

- How can this growing fear psychosis among the Northeast people be controlled?

- How can the government of Karnataka restore their confidence?

- What are community leaders doing to ensure safety and security of the Northeast people?

- Is this the result of alienation of the Northeast people in other parts of India?

- Has an attempt been made to give the situation a communal colour by mischief-makers?

- Is the central government guilty of showing leniency to the Tarun Gogoi government for failing to control violence in Assam?