One thousand reach Guwahati from southern states

GUWAHATI: About 1,000 people from the northeast reached Guwahati from Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad by two trains on Thursday to escape possible attacks from people of the minority community arising out of rumours that NE people, particularly the Assamese, may face action in the southern states.
The 5629 Chennai-Guwahati Weekly Express and the Yeswantpur-Dibrugarh Express turned out to be the saviours of NE people fleeing Hyderabad and Bangalore.
On Wednesday, about 4,000 people from the northeast gathered at Bangalore railway station to catch trains for their home states. Such is the paranoia that Karnataka deputy chief minister had to ensure that effective steps were being taken to ensure safety and security of NE people.
"We had a meeting with the home minister and the chief minister and they assured that steps were being taken to help tackle the situation. On Wednesday night, close to 5,000 people from the northeast gathered at the main railway station to catch trains. Trouble started when two security guards, who were living at two localities inhabited by the minority community, were threatened. Last Sunday, there were rumours that people from the northeast would face dire consequences if they stayed back in Bangalore," said Dipankar Kalita, the general secretary of Assam Association of Bangalore.
"There were some rumours that Assamese people will face violent repercussions because of the alleged atrocities meted out against Muslims in Bodoland. I got in touch with others and it was decided that we better leave as some organizations had issued a warning that people from Assam have to leave before August 20. There was pressure from our own families as well to return to our home states," said a man who works as a security guard in Hyderabad.
Among those who reached Guwahati railway station on Thursday morning include some students from Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. After reaching Guwahati, they booked bus tickets for their home states. An Arunachali student said he had to board the train as there were threats from the minority community in Bangalore.