Bangalore/New Delhi:
The Centre and the Karnataka government have reiterated that there is no threat to people from the North-East living in Bangalore, and there is no need for them to return home. Cities like Bangalore and Pune are on guard against aftershocks of the ethnic violence that has hit Assam hard in the last one month; nearly 80 people have died.
Here are the latest developments in this story:
Indians from the North East living in cities like Bangalore should stay where they are, said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi this afternoon. He phoned the Chief Minister of Karnataka yesterday and asked that his administration ensure the safety of students and young professionals in Bangalore.
Jagadish Shettar, who heads the BJP government in Karnataka, met students from the North East today and said, "We are all with you... there is nothing to worry (about)." He also reassured them that nobody has been attacked in the state as a result of the ethnic violence in Assam. A helpline has been set up for the North Eastern community in the city.
Threatening text messages have been sent to a few students from the North East. The country's Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that intelligence officials are trying to identify the senders of these messages, as well as those spreading rumours of attacks against different communities. "We have to maintain peace at any cost, " Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today in response to the concern among the student community. He also urged all political parties to "work together to give a feeling of confidence" to all people affected in the recent violence in Assam.
Doctored photos on social media are also being circulated, say sources, resulting in tension. The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered surveillance of social media and websites to detect misleading reports and attempts to instigate violence.
Two extra trains have been organised for tonight from Bangalore to Guwahati to accommodate a surge of passengers. Officials stress the rush is because of the long weekend that's coming up. Last night, two special trains left Bangalore. The state's home Minister R Ashoka visited the train station to reassure passengers that no community is at risk in Karnataka.
Student representatives of Bangalore's North Eastern community met this morning with Muslim leaders who have said they will continue to disseminate messages of peace. "Those feeling unsafe may take shelter in our homes and mosques. But please do not leave the city. It is yours as much as it is mine," said Akbar Ali, Convenor, Bangalore's Muslim Welfare Association.
After reports of new ethnic violence in Assam, the Army will be deployed in the state to help maintain law and order; the state government has formally sought its assistance today. Nine columns of the Army (about 600 troops) will be stationed in Nalbari, an important town in Lower Assam which has been hit by ethnic violence.
The Press Trust of India reports a car, a bus and a bridge have been set on fire in Baksa, which is in lower Assam, and was one of the districts affected in the recent clashes between Bodo tribals and Bengali-speaking Muslims. Nearly 80 people have died in the last month in the ethnic clashes. Till recently, four lakh people were packed into relief camps
Congress MPs from the Northeast today met party chief Sonia Gandhi. Among the group was Union Minister of State for Development of Northeast Paban Singh Ghatowar. "She told us that peace must be restored and we Indians must live together," Mr Ghatowar told Press Trust of India.
In New Delhi, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said, "Panic due to rumours in Karnataka is a very serious issue. The Karnataka government will do everything to protect the people from the North-East. It is a case of concerted effort to create divide among people." She also urged the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to build confidence among people from the North East who study or work in cities like Hyderabad and Pune.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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