Title - NFR specials to reverse NE exodus

The Assam Government is planning to run special trains from Guwahati to the south Indian cities from which thousands of north-easterners have fled to their respective States fearing a backlash of the recent ethnic violence.

The Assam Government have taken up the matter with the Northeast Frontier Railway and asked them to arrange for special trains soon so that the people, who had earlier escaped from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other places, could go back and join their duties.

A senior Assam Government official said that a letter had already been sent to the NFR urging them to arrange for special trains

and to consider the matter as a top priority.

NFR spokesman Situsing Hajong said that they have received a letter from the Assam Government to run special trains to States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai.

“The railways have been asked to arrange special trains from September so that the people, who fled those States in the past few days, could return. The NFR is now planning to run the special trains but a schedule is yet to be finalised,” Hajong said.

The Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Government had already assured that the people, who had left their jobs due to rumours, will be reinstated.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka is also likely to visit Manipur, Nagaland and Assam soon to help in confidence building among the people of the NE States, who had returned to their native States due to rumours.

The mass exodus started from August 15 fearing a backlash of the communal violence in Assam — particularly after the people from the north-eastern States working in those States received life threatening SMS and MMS asking them to leave the respective States before August 20.

The Karnataka Government had to arrange eight special trains to Guwahati after rumours started spreading from the night of August 14 and thousands gathered at the Bangalore railway station seeking for trains to return home.

The Assam Government had on August 18 sent four Ministers to Hyderabad and Bangalore to talk to the respective State Governments as well as with the people to convince them about their security.

Some other States of the region — Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland — also sent their ministerial teams to the States to ease the situation and stop the exodus.