Title - Northeasterners return to Bangalore, but reception’s a tad lukewarm

Platform number three at the City railway station looked like a fortress in the wee hours of Tuesday with the presence of a sizable contingent of policemen. They took position on the platform as soon as a railway official announced the arrival of the Guwahati special train, carrying Northeasterners returning to Bangalore roughly two weeks after fleeing to their native places following rumours of an imminent attack.

Around 20 railway policemen were on the train to provide protection for the Northeasterners who returned to the city. Those who got off the train seemed disappointed as the authorities did not arrange for vehicles to help them reach their destinations at various locations in the city.

The 19-bogie Guwahati special arrived at the City station at 4.15 am. While policemen advised them to check their luggage, not even a single porter was seen on the platform. The policemen escorted those who disembarked off the train on platform number three to the main entrance. Though a few Northeasterners hired maxi cabs to reach their homes, others who could not afford to engage cabs, preferred to wait a few more hours for autorickshaws and buses.

According to most of those who returned, rumours of the imminent attack on them after Ramadan played havoc in their lives — rumours that not only ruined them financially but also psychologically. “The rumours made my parents to worry a lot about my safety in Bangalore. They asked me to come back to Guwhati. Now, I have told them not to give credence to rumours. I want to focus on work and earn my livelihood,’’ said Rohit Bora from Guwahati.

According to some among the returnees, thousands of people from Assam, who fled the city a few weeks ago, would be returning to Bangalore within a few days. Home minister A Ashoka’s visit to Guwahati and other places in Assam helped them gain confidence to return to Bangalore. “I attended the meeting organised to meet the home minister a few days ago. He assured protection for us in Bangalore and his visit to Assam was a good gesture,’’ said Mridul Bora, who rushed to Guwahat on August 16 after rumours created panic among people from north east in the city.

Anthony W of Kokrajhar district, who was working with a security firm at Talaghattapura, does not want to heed to rumours and has decided to focus on work. “The situation at my native place is far better now. There is no law and order problem in Kokrajhar district. I hope there will be no rumours on the safety of people from north-eastern states,’’ he said.

Close to 300 policemen were on special duty at Whitefield, KR Puram, Cantonment and City stations on Monday night. The lack of guidance on the exact time of arrival of the Guwahati special forced them to wait for long hours at respective railway stations. While a few of them grumbled while waiting for the train, others felt authorities are giving too much importance to the return of Northeasterners to the city.

“I never expected my superiors to give this much importance to people from Northeastern states. I do not know what has made home minister Ashoka to visit Assam and appeal to those who ran away from Bangalore to return to the city. There is nobody to look after people from Yadgir and other drought-hit districts,’’ said a police constable on the condition of anonymity.

B Srikanthappa, deputy inspector general of police (railways), said more than 300 policemen were on duty to maintain law and order on Monday night. “We have taken all measures to instill confidence among the northeasterners about their safety in Bangalore. Around 500 people would have arrived by the Guwahati special train. While majority of them got off at the City station, others alighted at Whitefield, KR Puram and Cantonment stations,’’ Srikanthappa said.

A senior police officer said it is for the first time in his 20-year-long career that he came across a situation like this. “It is a pity that we have to wait for these people in the wee hours. We are compelled to treat them as VIPs. I hope a similar situation will not arise in future,’’ he said.

Surprisingly, there was no Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus at the City station. It may be recalled that on August 17 and 18, BMTC, as per the directive of the home minister, had parked a few buses outside the station for helping those Northeasterners who wanted to cancel their plan to run away from the city to their respective native places. “I expected the home minister to have made some arrangements on humanitarian grounds. Now, I have to wait a few more hours here since I have no money to hire a cab to reach Jigani,’’ said one of the northeasterners.

There was no dearth for philanthropists, politicians and social workers on August 17 and 18 at the City station while people from the Northeast came to board trains to their native places. While representatives of a few pro-Hindu organisations had shouted slogans appealing the northeasterners not to leave Bangalore, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers had even supplied food and water for the people rushing to Guwahati.

Ministers, including Ashoka and law and parliamentary affairs minister S Suresh Kumar, MLAs and social activists had appealed to them not to leave the city. A few Congress leaders had also competed with BJP leaders in expressing solidarity with northeasterners. Dinesh Gundu Rao had made arrangements to distribute bakery products and water packets for the northeasterners during the exodus. Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes had also visited the City station while northeasterners were boarding trains to their native places. However, none of the ministers, MLAs and social activists was seen at the City station in the wee hours of Tuesday to welcome back the northeasterners who returned to the city.