Exodus To Northeast India

UPDATE (5:27 PM IST) 'If you feel unsafe, come to our homes, mosques'

Leaders from the Muslim community reassure students from the North-East about their safety in Bangalore.


UPDATE (5:10 PM IST) The Ministry of Home Affairs has identified the website responsible for spreading rumours. The Ministry has also ordered investigations into the owner of the blog. The Mumbai police and the Intelligence Bureau are also investigating.


UPDATE (4:05 PM IST) Hyderabad Police set up helpline. The helpline numbers in Hyderabad are 040-27852333 and 040-23261166; in Cyberabad, the numbers are 9490617100 and 9490617370.

 

UPDATE (4:00 PM IST) Inflammatory Messages.


UPDATE (3:40 M IST) Air fares to Kolkata, Guwahati shoots as demand spikes. Air fares on the Bangalore-Guwahati route have peaked to Rs 18,000 for a one-way ticket.

A leading online travel portal has reported a 300% increase in the search for tickets between Bangalore and various northeastern states over the past week.

UPDATE (3:35 PM IST) To check spread of rumours which has led to exodus of northeast people from certain states, government has banned from bulk SMSs and MMSs for 15 days across the country starting Friday.


UPDATE (2:15 PM IST) Union Home Secretary R K Singh said "We will detect those who are spreading rumours. Those responsible for the exodus from Bangalore will not go scot free,".


UPDATE (2:02 PM IST) The Northeast Students Federation (NSF) Bangalore held a meeting at St Joseph’s College to instill confidence among friends and classmates of its members.

NSF members said they were planning to arrange accommodation for students at St Joseph's college premises till the situation improved.


UPDATE (1:35 PM IST)

Shiran Singh and Irfan do their bit to reassure the NE community in Bangalore

UPDATE (1:33 PM IST) Northeast migrants from Mumbai were seen in large numbers at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus waiting to board the Guwahati Express.



UPDATE (1:15 PM IST) Dr. Martin Chhangte of Hyderabad Mizo Association (HMA) says “Rumours such as software professionals from North-East have been asked to go back in Bangalore are worrying people here. Should we stay here, ask students who have come recently. Isolated attacks covered by media are worrying their parents,”.



UPDATE (1:02 PM IST) Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil, a Samajwadi Party MP, Ramgopal Yadav also stated in Rajya Sabha that social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter should be closed for a few days to prevent the spreading of rumours that are prompting thousands of Northeastern students and people to flee the cities.


UPDATE (12:05 PM IST) Manipuri girl Attacked at Pune

According to Imphal Free Press : 3 motorcycle borne assailants made an attempt to kill a young Manipuri studying at Pune today morning.

According to reports received by IFP, the said incident happened around 9 am today near the Dr DY Patil Dental College located at Pimpree area of Pune.

The victim who escaped death by a hair breadth has been identified as one Rojina Chirom, daughter of Chirom Ranjit of Singjamei Chirom Leikai, Imphal.

She is studying in the 3rd year of Dental Surgeon course at the college.

According to Rojina, as she was crossing the road from her hostel to buy some materials for practical from a store selling medical instruments three assailants on a motorcycle swooped down on her.


UPDATE (12:02 PM IST) 

The Prime Minister is now speaking in the Lok Sabha, reiterating the right of the Northeastern people to live in any part of the country they so desire. “I  rise not to debate but to add my voice to the feelings that have been expressed in this august house”, he said. The Prime Minister also made an appeal to all the political parties to join hands and send a message to the Northeast “that all our people are one”.

UPDATE (12:00 PM IST) 

The railways had sold 9,718 tickets for the two special trains that headed to Guwahati on Thursday night.

UPDATE (11:55 AM IST) 

The exodus so far confined to Bangalore has now spread to some other parts with people of the northeast region living in Mysore, Mangalore and Kodagu arriving in Bangalore in trains and buses and rushing to railway counters to buy tickets.

 



UPDATE (10:50 AM IST)

UPDATE (10:45 AM IST)


Railways added two more coaches to the Azad Hind Express for Howrah to accommodate people.

 PUNE Railway Station

 UPDATE (10:30 AM IST)

Hundreds from NE flee Pune, minister blames social media. “We are requesting the central government in helping shut down social networking sites found to be involved in spreading rumours,” Patil said.

 UPDATE (9:15 AM IST)

There is an indication that the fundamentalist group Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena - the group that was behind the attack on Prashant Bhushan inside the Supreme Court Premises.

They have been sending SMS messages and writing on the Facebook that the Muslims are planning a massive attack on them after ID and that they should leave Bangalore.

They spread rumors that there have already been many attacks and gave a mobile number to contact in case of attacks or fear. One civil society person contacted that number and asked the person who claimed to be head of the Sena for details on the attacks.

He said that he did not have any details but had only heard of attacks. That is where we stand. Another rumour spread that seven people had died in Nelasandra and three more in Koramangala etc and the outskirts of Bangalore. Inquiries showed that they were false rumours. Persons who visited the railway station tell us that around 100 persons belonging to this or some other similar outfit are standing at the station with lathis on the pretext of protecting people from the NE.

All of it seems to be part of a well worked out plan to cause panic through false rumors. They have also been threatening people. This morning there was a threat on the Sena facebook more or less like "You supporters of Bangladeshis, if you do in Delhi what you are doing in other places we will break both your hands and legs." Another message said "Instead of punishing the Bangladeshis you are providing trains. You are anti-national." (this is paraphrase, not the exact wording).

UPDATE (9:10 AM IST)

After Bangalore, Chennai too sees exodus

It is all chaos at the Bangalore City Station as people from the Northeast scramble for a toehold on a special train bound for Guwahati on Thursday. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Large number of migrants workers from Assam and other northeast states at Bangalore Railway station on Wednesday. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

South India — which has never seen non-locals fleeing the region for fear of their lives — continued to witness the unprecedented exodus of citizens from the Northeast on Thursday, with thousands from Chennai too rushing to the railway station to take the train home.

In Bangalore, where it all began, their flight continued unabated with 7,500 more people boarding four Guwahati-bound trains — three special trains apart from the regular Bangalore-Guwahati Express.

On Thursday evening, nearly 3,000 workers and students, mostly from Assam, were seen waiting at Chennai Central, eager to board the two Guwahati-bound trains that were scheduled for departure at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday. A number of them had arrived from Coimbatore and Madurai.

“Nothing has happened till now, but we are very sure something really bad is going to happen. Our Bangalore friends have said we have to leave before August 20,” said Bishnu, 21, who hails from Dibrugarh and works as a waiter in a restaurant in Chennai.

Chennai Commissioner of Police J.K. Tripathy told The Hindu that no complaint of violence against natives of the Northeast had been reported so far. “They don’t need to worry at all, they are safe. We will make sure there is no untoward situation,” Mr. Tripathy said.

But migrant workers from the Northeast appeared too panicky at the moment to pay heed to such assurances. “Incidents have already been reported from Hyderabad, Bangalore and from Kerala. I am very scared,” said Bishnu, who has been working in Chennai for the past three years. “It was never like this before. Everyone is extremely scared this time.”

“We are employed as security guards at the Siruseri IT Park,” said Bindeswar, who huddled with his colleagues at the Central station. “We spoke to our companies today but none of them agreed to take responsibility for our safety.” They heard rumours that four people had already been killed in Bangalore and said they did not wish to meet the same fate. “Our families back home are petrified. They want us back as soon as possible,” said Bindeswar.

Most people fleeing Chennai happen to hail from Assam; though smaller, separate groups from Manipur and Mizoram, were waiting to leave too. The sense of panic is evident in the student community as well, according to college heads. “This is mainly because their friends from Bangalore are sending them all sorts of messages and they are falling prey to rumours. We have assured them that they are safe here,” said a professor at Loyola College.

PM Should Ensure Safety Of Northeast People: Mizoram CM

Aizawl, Aug 17 : Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure safety of north eastern people living in other parts of the country.

An official statement said that Lal Thanhawla held telephonic discussions with the Prime Minister and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

The Prime Minister told the Chief Minister that there was no danger to the people of the north eastern region living in the other regions of the country, it said..

Lal Thanhawla also wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar to ensure the safety of the north eastern people and take steps to prevent any action targeting them.

Meanwhile, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students' Federation) made an appeal to the Centre and the state governments, where students from the north eastern states were living, to take immediate steps to defuse tension.

Northeast Exodus: Meghalaya To Send Team To Other States

Shillong, Aug 17 : Expressing concern over "students' exodus" from southern states fearing attacks, the Meghalaya government Thursday decided to send a delegation to these states to unearth the truth.

Many students from Meghalaya and the northeast region left Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Maharashtra after circulation of SMSes about northeast students being attacked.

The SMSes on the attacks emanated after the Assam ethnic violence.

"It is a matter of concern (students leaving southern states fearing attack) and such incidents would have serious ramification in the long run," Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

"We have checked with our counterparts and found that most of the information being circulated through SMSes are rumours," Sangma said.

He said a delegation would be sent to the affected states and the union home ministry was being approached to facilitate the visit.

"The director general of police and the chief secretary are in constant touch with their counterparts in the states. I have also taken up the matter with my counterparts there," Sangma said.

Meghalaya Police have also set up a helpline 91-8575001111.

Assam Riots Fallout - Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra

- NE community in capital calm, but not taking chances- Panicky Assamese leaving Maharashtra
- Assam organizations Appeal

NE community in capital calm, but not taking chances

By Pallavi Polanki


New Delhi: Dramatic images of people from the North East leaving en masse from Bangalore, coming in the wake of attacks on them in Pune and Hyderabad, has put the community in the capital on alert.

Delhi has so far not seen any attacks or rumours of the kind being reported from cities in south India. The rumours alleged attacks targetting citizens from north eastern states following ethnic clashes in Assam that has left 77 people dead.

People have been fleeing from Bangalore since yesterday. PTI

Speaking about the predominant mood in the community, Raskan Jonah of the Naga Students Union, said, “For now, the students of the North East in Delhi are not feeling insecure. We are taking precautions so that no uninvited incidents occur. Student bodies and the North East communities are alert and ready to put pressure on the police to give extra attention to people of the North East so that what has happened in other cities does not happen here. But we feel that what has happened in other metros cannot happen in Delhi.”

Explaining the reasons for the sense of security, Jonah said: “We have organizations here, our MPs are here, and there are many police officers from the North East in Delhi. For now, we don’t feel the need to panic.”
To make sure all steps towards securing the community are taken, the All Assamese Students Assocation (AASA) is meeting the senior police officials later today. “We are going to meet Hibu Robin, the Joint Commissioner of Police, and the DCP, North Delhi. We will talk about the steps being taken in Delhi regarding security of North East students,” said Mitul Vikash Medhi, president of the Association.

Reiterating the relatively better state of security in Delhi, he said, “The North East community in Delhi is safer than it is in Pune or Hyderabad. There have been instances of verbal abuse but no life threats and such. There is security to an extent, but not enough. We are leaving no stone unturned to beef up security.”

Rumours, false reports spook Assamese in Andhra Pradesh

“It all started with reports in a few newspapers and TV channels based in Assam. One such report said the Assamese in Hyderabad were given a deadline of August 20 to leave the city,” said Subhash Dutta, Assam Youth Welfare Association chairman, at a meeting called by the police here to clear the apprehensions of students and security guards from Assam at the National Academy of Construction (NAC) on Thursday.

“Did any one of you receive any threat [sic] phone call or was anyone intimidated?” asked T. Yoganand, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Madhapur zone, at the meeting.

No affirmative answers were received.

Mr. Dutta, who came to Hyderabad on learning about the flight, felt that family concerns led to the rush for home.

An isolated incident of three unidentified persons beating up a person from Assam and snatching away his mobile phone in Raidurg police station area was reported four days ago. No other such attack was reported from anywhere else.

The incident, however, led to a flurry of phone calls from family members to the Assamese working here enquiring about their safety. While news about the Raidurg incident spread like wildfire, rumour mills worked overtime circulating false stories that the Assamese were being attacked.

The rumours had an immediate impact on guards working mostly in Siddiquinagar of Madhapur and Anjaiahnagar of Raidurg where IT firms are located. Nearly 800 guards left these places, Mr. Yoganand revealed.
Police intensify patrols

Not willing to take any chances, the police have deployed pickets and intensified patrolling in localities where the Assamese live. Hyderabad MP and MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi also visited the areas and assured Assamese residents that they faced no threat.

Apparently, not the entire community is affected. “I travelled from Guntur to Hyderabad all through the night along with seven students from the North-Eastern States and stopped at roadside hotels. We didn’t face any trouble,” Mr. Dutta said.

Panicky Assamese leaving Maharashtra

MUMBAI: People from Assam and other northeast states are fleeing to their home states after some of them were targeted by miscreants in Maharashtra in the past few days, officials said Thursday.

Since early this week, an estimated 1,500 northeastern people have returned home from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik.

While over 300 Assamese left early Thursday from Pune and Nashik each, another 400 left from Mumbai on Wednesday.

Pune Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Singhal said there was no cause for people from the northeast to leave.

"They are apparently influenced by some MMSs being circulated. We have appealed to their community leaders not to panic and avoid forwarding such MMSs," Singhal said.

He spoke after meeting representatives of the people from the northeast in the city.

Last week at least 10 people from the northeast, mostly students, were brutally beaten, sending shockwaves in the community.

So far police have nabbed 13 people in connection with the two incidents in Hadpsar and Kondwa areas of the city.

Though there have been no similar attacks in Mumbai and Nashik, many from the two cities are scared, a police source said.

Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday urged people from the northeast living in the state not to get scared or misled by rumours.

At the same time, he said that if required additional trains would be deployed on the Mumbai-Assam sector to clear the rush of people wanting to leave.

In Mumbai, Assam Association of Mumbai president Paban Kumar Kataky expressed "regret" over the "tragic incidents" and said people from the northeast settled here are apprehensive.

"I would not like to comment on how many people are leaving or not since it can create more tension," Kataky said.

According to Kataky, around 15,000 Assamese live, work or study in Mumbai. Another 5,000 are based in Pune and Nashik each.

Besides, there are around 10,000 people from the other northeastern states spread out across Mumbai and other parts of the state.

Kataky said a majority of them worked with private companies or in the hospitality industry. The young were mainly students.

Prominent Northeast Citizens in Bangalore Ask People Not To Leave

By Arun Dev

Bangalore, Aug 17 : A few hours after people from the northeast started leaving the city, some worried students gathered at the home of former director general of police HT Sangliana. "I was born and raised in Bangalore. This is my home, but I'm living in fear now," said one of them who doesn't want to leave the city.

After the discussion, the supercop of yesteryear said: "I don't think anyone should run away in fear. Bangalore has never had a history of extreme communalism. What has happened is unfortunate and what people should do is to stay home safe till the situation is defused." "But a spark neglected burns a house," he added. "Police were not proactive. Community leaders should have been taken into confidence and more policemen should have been on the streets. Most importantly, calls to police control room should not go to an answering machine."

Playwright Swar Thounaojam says Bangalore has been her home and she doesn't plan to leave. "If there is any place I want to work or live, it's Bangalore. But Bangalore is no longer the place it was years ago. The situation here has become abrasive," she said.

Life in Delhi is tougher for people from the northeast but people there have found a way to negotiate with the city. "We need a dialogue between communities here. Firstly, among various northeastern communities in the city, then with the other communities. This will be beginning of our negotiation with the city," she said.

Fashion designer Robert Naorem has been here for over 10 years. He says in spite of the pressure from his parents back home, he will stay here.

"Things have changed, we are a little concerned but Bangalore is one of the most friendliest cities I've been to. I'm sure these problems will settle down. Till then I'll be cautious but I don't intend to go back," he said.

Northeast India Citizens PANIC in Karnataka

Leaving Bangalore in PANIC

UPDATE (7:20 PM IST) : Exodus continues from Bangalore. Till this moment approx 6800 Northeast residents have left by JAM-PACKED trains.

UPDATE (6:30 PM IST) : Karnataka CM, Police Chief, politicians - "Karnataka government assures protection and security to northeast people"

UPDATE (5:30 PM IST) : Something you can Re-tweet

We are working with mosque authorities in Bangalore to make public announcement after prayers Friday. Need media coverage. Please retweet
— Anita Kurup (@seekingxanadu) August 16, 2012

UPDATE (5:01 PM IST) : There are still thousands of Northeast citizens in Bangalore Railway station waiting for trains to Northeast  India. 

UPDATE (4:45 PM IST) : DG & IGP of Karnataka Lalrokhuma Pachuau said "There are rumours doing rounds that the northeast people in the state will be attacked by some people. But, those rumours are baseless. Not even a single case of physical assault or verbal threat them has been reported in the state. However, as a precaution, police chiefs of all districts have been directed to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents."

"The state police force is ready to give fool proof security to NE students and working professionals. So, they need not panic and live fearlessly. However, if anyone gets to know of such attacks or rumours, they should inform the police control room immediately. Those who try to disturb peace will be strictly dealt with," Pachuau warned, adding he had also talked to NE leaders in the state and had assured them of safety to their fraternity.

"We also had a meeting with the deputy CM and home minister, R Ashoka, in this connection. He has also instructed us to take necessary steps to avert such incidents in the state," he added.

UPDATE (4:36 PM IST) : The All Assam Students Union today has blamed prominent minority leader and president of the All India United Democratic Front Badaruddin Ajmal responsible for spreading fear among students and persons of the Northeast in other states.“There is a fear psychosis among students in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra as a direct result of the communal politics played by Ajmal,” AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjee told reporters in Guwahati.

The student body warned Ajmal “not to give communal colour to the violence in Assam” and appealed to the students not to panic and refrain from rushing back.

He said at least three overcrowded trains would be reaching here from Bangalore tomorrow and that thousands of panic-stricken people were stranded in various stations of those states including Secunderabad.

UPDATE (3:06 PM IST) : Congress MPs from northeast meet Sonia Gandhi related with the exodus of Northeast Students from Bangalore and elsewhere.



UPDATE (2:47 PM IST) : Bangalore Muslim community will meet Bangalore  district collector at 4 pm. A solidarity march is reportedly to be held at 5 pm near MG statue in Bangalore.


UPDATE (2:45 PM IST) : Muslim students Hold Placards at Bangalore railway station: "Don't leave Bangalore. O! Dear Assamese friends. We love you".


UPDATE (2:00 PM IST) : Muslim & Northeast community to hold Peace rally in Bangalore on August 20. This will jointly hosted by the Muslim & Northeast Communities. No word yet from Northeast Communities on who will participate. Further details awaited.

UPDATE (1:17 PM IST) :Agatha Sangma, MP from Meghalaya says that the police and individual state governments should take action to ensure that nobody from the north eastern states were targeted.

UPDATE (1:12 PM IST) :A doctored MMS is in circulation. Please report the MMS & SMS to nearest Police Station or call numbers below.

UPDATE (12:45 PM IST) :North East Students Association met Karnataka Chief Minister

 Members of the North East Students Association met Karnataka Chief Minister where they were assured that they faced no threat in Bangalore.

“Panic is justified in a small way because people have been getting messages saying that members of the community are being attacked,” a student told CNN IBN.

“Rumours are more than what has happened. People have started messaging each other about these rumours,” she said.

UPDATE (2:36 PM IST) Gogoi asks Northeast students not to panic
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today appealed to students and people from Assam and other parts of the Northeast to refrain from rushing back to their home states in panic.
"I appeal to students and other persons especially those who are in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, that they should not get panicked and (not) rush back. Rumour mongering is on, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has personally talked to the chief ministers of the two states to ensure security," Gogoi told reporters here.
The Chief Minister made the comment in the wake of reports of mass exodus of people, particularly students, who were fearing a backlash following the widespread violence in lower Assam.
He said a ministerial team would leave for Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh tomorrow and assured that there was absolutely no need to panic. "The situation is normal," he said.
Asked to comment on the recent violence in lower Assam districts under the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District, Gogoi said the situation is gradually returning to normal.
"Stray incidents have been reported here and there, but one should not panic. Most of the victims have started returning to their homes from the relief camps, he said. 

 Bangalore Police Issues Twitter



UPDATE (12:35 PM IST) : Bangalore cops scotch rumours as northeast students flee

UPDATE (12:30 PM IST) : No threat to northeast people: Home Secretary

- After Pune, Tibetan student in Mysore stabbed on suspicion he's from North East.

- At least 5,000 flee Bangalore fearing Assam repercussions.

-NE students exodus growing, two special trains provided from Bangalore.

- North Eastern students prepared to leave Karnataka, PM calls CM.

- Fearing attacks, several Assamese leave Hyderabad.



After Pune, Tibetan student in Mysore stabbed on suspicion he's from North East

Bangalore, Aug 16 : After attacks on North Eastern people in Pune, a Tibetan college student is battling for life on being stabbed in Mysore by two persons who suspected him to be from North Eastern region.

Tenzin Dhargiyial (22), a diploma student of Kushalnagar College, was stabbed by two persons riding a motorcycle near a hotel in Mysore yesterday and has been admitted to Krishna Rajendra hospital in that city, they said.

Meanwhile Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachau told reporters here today that police have intensified investigations to nab those who stabbed Dhargiyial and that security has been provided in and around Tibetan camps in Mysore district.

Security has also been provided at two other Tibetan camps at Bylakuppe and Gurupur in Mysore district, he said.

Amid attack fears, people from NE flee Bangalore

Hundreds flooded Bangalore City station Wednesday.

More than 6,000 people from the Northeast fled Bangalore in panic on Wednesday following rumours that they could be attacked like elsewhere in the country, in the aftermath of the clashes between Bodos and migrant Muslims in Assam.

The Bangalore City railway station was flooded with them waiting to board the Guwahati Express scheduled to leave the city at midnight. Most of them were from Assam. The Railways sold as many as 5,600 tickets for the three unreserved coaches on the train. With more people arriving at the station, a special train was scheduled to leave an hour after the express.

Late on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and asked him to ensure the safety of people from Northeastern states. Shettar, who also got a call from Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, sent Deputy CM R Ashok to the station to assure the people travelling to Guwahati that they would be safe in the state.

Shettar told PTI that police officials had also been using the public address system at the railway station to reassure the people.

Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachua, who incidentally hails from the Northeast, clarified that no complaints had been filed at any police station on threats or harassment to the people from Assam.

The panic came a day after a 22-year-old Tibetan college student was stabbed by two unidentified motorbike-born men in neighbouring Mysore, who apparently suspected he was from the Northeast. Although those fleeing Wednesday didn’t seem to have heard about the incident, they spoke about violence against people from the Northeast in other parts of India.

Assamese were fleeing Hyderabad too on Wednesday, although the panic was on a much smaller scale and only small groups left by two trains during the day, police said. Some of the scare here was attributed to the attack on a security guard in Cyberabad last Saturday even though it was not related to the clashes in Assam.

The hundreds of Assamese at the Bangalore railway station, mostly men in their 20s and a handful of families, were leaving construction, security, retail and office administration jobs after the panic triggered by word of mouth over the last few days.

“There have been attacks on people from Assam and the Northeast in different parts of India. People are saying there will be attacks in Bangalore as well after Ramzan. There were reports of some people from Assam being troubled in one part of Bangalore. We want to go back to our families,” said Ranjith, 22, who worked at a retail outlet after arriving in the city about a year ago.

“We have spread the word among all our friends. It may be a rumour but we don’t want to take a risk. We want to be with our families in Assam at such a time. We will see the situation for a while and decide if we want to come back,” said Ripen, 21, a friend and colleague of Ranjith.

Some at the station claimed the government of Assam had sent out a message asking all Assamese to return. “Our government has asked us to return. Our employers and landlords in Bangalore have suggested we go back if we apprehend danger,” said Mitra Lal Upadhyay, a security labour contractor who claimed he was sending 40 boys back to Assam as they feared for their lives.

An office boy and security guard at a private firm for nine years, Jayanth, 27, said he was going back because his family was panicking over news of attacks on Assamese people and the violence in Mumbai was a factor as well. Some employees referred to direct threats of violence after Ramzan being made to them, others referred to an alleged video of a brutal attack in Assam being circulated among Muslims for which reprisals are being planned, while still others referred to alleged warnings from the police itself.

The Bangalore police however claimed they had not initiated any measure asking people from the Northeast to move out of the city. The police seemed unaware of the situation until senior state intelligence officials visited the railway station. “People from Assam are going back home for the festival period, that is why they are present in large numbers,” a police official at the railway station said.

In Hyderabad, Kiran Tiwari, director of a security agency that employs hundreds of people from the Northeast and Orissa, said that some of his employees told him they received calls and text messages saying they would be attacked after Ramzan.

“I think someone is trying to create mischief and scare them. Some of my staff asked to go home after they received calls from other employees but all of them chose to stay back as of now. I believe it is more about a scare due to everyone calling each other rather than a specific threat from anyone,” Tiwari said. Some Bodos who work in restaurants in the city left last week as they were concerned about their families back home due to the violence there.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said that the police were trying to probe the origin of the rumours. But there were no attacks on people from the Northeast, he added.

North Eastern students prepared to leave Karnataka, PM calls CM

Bangalore: Gripped by panic following rumours of attack on some of their compatriots, about 5,000 people of North Eastern states, including students, on Wednesday prepared to return to their home towns even as Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar assured them of security.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde spoke to Shettar on Wednesday night and were understood to have asked him to ensure the safety of people from North Eastern states in Karnataka.

The Bangalore City Railway station was flooded with people from North Eastern states to board the available trains as rumours spread that some people from the state had been subjected to attacks in the city, which was promptly denied by police.

Shettar said that he told the Prime Minister and the Home Minister that "there is no untoward incident nor is there any threat to people of North Eastern states. I promised that necessary steps would be taken to give protection to these people".

In the wake of abrupt exodus of passengers, the South Western Railway decided to run a special train.
Shettar assured protection and deputed Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka, who also holds Home portfolio to instill confidence in the panic-stricken people and convince them not to leave the city.

The Chief Minister said police officials have been using public address system at the railway station to reassure the north eastern people gathered there and assured them protection.

Shettar said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also spoke to him over phone and he assured him that all possible assistance and protection would be given to his state people.

Earlier on Wednesday, Karnataka DGP Lalrukuma Pachau, who also hails from the North East, said interest of these people would be protected and their safety ensured.

In Mysore, a Tibetan college student is battling for life on being stabbed in Mysore by two persons who suspected him to be from North Eastern region.

From Hindustan Times:

At least 5,000 flee Bangalore fearing Assam repercussions

Atleast 5,000 people from the north east, including students, have left Bangalore in two special trains for Assam fearing repercussions of the recent Assam violence, VS D'Souza nodal officer appointed by the Karnataka police said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, D'Souza said that no complaints have been registered at any police station across the state.

"No complaint has been registered at any station, we have directed all our officers to be alert."

Special train services may also be put in place on Thursday as well.

D'Souza also said that there is no police intelligence on any attacks.

"People are fearing repercussions of the Assam violence. We have assured them all action will be taken."

Following attacks on people from the northeast in Pune as a fall out of Assam violence, the state police have geared up to ensure no such incidents takes place in the state.

Two special trains have left Bangalore and around 5,000 have left the city.

State home minister R Ashoka went to the railway station and tried to convince them against leaving the city.

He made an announcement from the railway control room saying they should not believe rumours. He also assured  protection to them.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi spoke to Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar and Shettar has aasured them of protection to the people from the northeastern states.

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde also spoke to Ashoka.

The state police chief Lalrokhuma Pachuau rubbished rumours of any such attacks in Karnataka.

"There are rumours doing rounds that the northeast people in the state will be attacked by some people. But, those rumours are baseless. Not even a single case of physical assault or verbal threat them has been reported in the state. However, as a precaution, police chiefs of all districts have been directed to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents," DG & IGP Pachuau said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The state police force is ready to give fool proof security to NE students and working professionals. So, they need not panic and live fearlessly. However, if anyone gets to know of such attacks or rumours, they should inform the police control room immediately. Those who try to disturb peace will be strictly dealt with," Pachuau warned, adding he had also talked to NE leaders in the state and had assured them of safety to their fraternity.

"We also had a meeting with the deputy CM and home minister, R Ashoka, in this connection. He has also instructed us to take necessary steps to avert such incidents in the state," he added.

Meanwhile, city police commissioner, BG Jyothiprakash Mirji, said that the rumours were being spread through text messages and social networking sites.

"There are more than 2.5 lakh NE population in the city and most of the them are students. We have identified the places where they are thickly populated and have intensified patolling in such areas with immediate effect. DCPs and ACPs have been asked to meet NE people in their limits and to interact with them regularly."

Following the rumours, nearly 3,000 left the city on Wednesday afternoon.

Mirji admitted it and said that most of them returned to their home states through train.

"The policemen spoke to them and it is learnt that most of them have returned to pay a visit to their house as some of their family members and relatives were injured in the violence. But, some have returned fearing that they would also be attacked in the city. However, there is absolutely no reason to panic as the police have taken all possible steps to prevent such attacks," he added.

Fearing attacks, several Assamese leave Hyderabad
Impact of the recent violence in Assam targeting refugees from Bangladesh is being felt in Hyderabad with some Assamese working as private security guards here rushing back to their State worried over possible retaliatory attacks.

Though no official statistics are available, many Assamese security guards deployed at malls, restaurants and software companies have stopped turning up for duty leaving their managements clueless. “They didn’t take our calls. A few of them who spoke reluctantly said the situation in Hyderabad was not good,” Vishwajeet, manager of a noted security agency said on Tuesday.
Enquiries made

They, however, assured him that they would come back “once things improve”. Speculation was rife for the past two days that activists of some religious organisations were enquiring about Assamese living in different parts of the city. The Hyderabad Assamese Association former president Sarbeshwar Sahariah says over 10,000 Assamese are living in Hyderabad.

A good number of them work as guards with private security agencies. “It is said that one person from Assam travelling in a train was beaten up by unidentified persons somewhere in Andhra Pradesh days after the violence broke out in Assam,” he said. He felt this unconfirmed report naturally worried Assamese living in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, rumours began doing rounds that Assamese guards were beaten up in Madhapur and Gachibowli areas - hubs of IT company offices - by unidentified persons.

Two days ago, a person from Assam walking alone on the road was allegedly intercepted and beaten up by three unidentified persons in Raidurg, who snatched his mobile phone. Police conceded that they deliberately didn’t divulge details of the case to the media apprehending that it could create panic and may lead to communal tension.

Police are trying to identify the attackers based on the details given by the guard. Interestingly, the incident was not taken seriously by some Assamese guards working in central parts of the city like Somajiguda. “I heard that some have left. But we have no such fear here and hence not worried at all,” Hari working at a restaurant in Begumpet said.

Managers of some private security agencies say there was more to the sudden quitting of jobs by the guards than what meets the eye.

Some guards reportedly revealed that they quit the jobs at the instance of a local MLA from Assam who directed them to leave the jobs at once and return to the State. “We’re hoping to hear from them soon,” the manager said.

No threat to northeast people: Home Secretary

Migrants workers from Assam and other northeast states, getting ready to leave at Bangalore City Railway station in Bangalore on Wednesday Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

With people from north east in panic following rumours of attacks, Union Home Secretary R K Singh on Thursday said there was no threat to anyone from the region living anywhere in the country and termed the reports of violence as rumours.

“There is no threat to the people of the north east in any part of the country,” Mr Singh told PTI here reacting to reports that people from the region were attacked in other parts of the country.

On reports of mass exodus of people from the north east living in Bangalore, Mr Singh said he had spoken to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Karnataka Police and they had informed him that there was no incident of attack on anyone from the region anywhere in the state.

“Last night when I got an information that some people from Assam were under threat in Karnataka, I rang up the DGP and checked up with him... There is nothing.

“When people thronged the (Bangalore) railway station to go to the north east, the Home Minister of Karnataka himself went there and told them that there is nothing. So the rumour mongering has to be stopped. Some people are spreading rumours,” he said.

 UPDATE (12:32 PM)
Karnataka CM convenes meet as northeast people flee

Large number of migrants workers from Assam and other northeast states at Bangalore Railway station on Wednesday. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

As over 5,000 panic-stricken people from North Eastern states fled the city after rumours of attacks targeting the community spread, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is holding a high-level meeting on Thursday to tackle the situation.

Two Assam-bound special trains were operated late on Thursday night in addition to the regular service to clear the sudden rush of passengers triggered by the rumours in the wake of some attacks on North Eastern people in some parts of the country in the Assam violence backlash.

The stabbing of a Tibetan student by two motorcycle-borne men in Mysore on August 14 added fuel to the fears of the North Eastern people whom the Government and Police are trying to convince that they are safe in the state.

However, State DGP Lalrokhuma Pachuau, who himself is from North Eastern state of Manipur, said on Thursday that the exact number of people who fled the city was not known as many bound for Guwahati were regular passengers, and not those leaving following the rumours.

Concerned over the development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself spoke on Wednesday to Mr Shettar who assured him that steps were being taken to give protection to the people from the North East.

Besides Dr Singh, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also spoke to Mr Shettar on the issue.

Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said that Mr Shettar would discuss with the officials the exodus and find solutions to tide over the fresh problem.

A small group of people at the railway station said, “We are expecting the railway authorities to make an announcement of arranging special trains to Guwahati. We want to be with our families in Assam. We have been informed that some people are planning to attack us as our community was attacked in Mumbai and other parts of the country.

“We do not want to take any risk as nobody comes to our rescue when we are attacked,” Monica and others from her region said in unison as they waited at the railway station this morning.

Railway officials had said yesterday that they had sold more than 5000 tickets for northeast destinations.

UPDATE (12:35 PM)
Ashoka’s pleas fail to stem exodus

Bangalore,  :

The City railway station on Wednesday night was witness to unprecedented rush as hordes of people of North Eastern origin boarded trains to Guwahati, in a panic-ridden state.

The Bangalore division of railways had to organise two special trains in addition to the regular train to Guwahati.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed as people struggled to board the trains between 11 pm and 12 am, when all the three trains were scheduled to depart.

Home Minister R Ashoka rushed to the station and tried to assure people that there was no threat and it was all rumours.

“Bangalore never has had any communal problems. We had inputs that people from the North East, especially students, would be targeted and we have taken measures to see that areas where students are greater in number are being patrolled.”

This assurance did not, however, satisfy the emotional crowd as they resorted to sloganeering and shouting.

Railways police and additional police were present in huge numbers at the station. Each of the coaches are being provided with two policemen till the Andhra Pradesh border.

DCP (West), S N Siddaramappa, told Deccan Herald: “I visited the City railway station where about 4,000 people have gathered to leave for Guwahati by a special train.

I addressed the people through the public address system and requested them to come forward with any specific complaints and co-operate.

However, none turned up. Many said that they are leaving to visit their relatives back home who are injured and victimised in the recent communal flare up. But there is a fear psychosis which I observed. But it is unfounded.”

Most of the people the Deccan Herald spoke to refused to be identified, but said they had been told to leave within ten days. A resident of Koramangala said that some people had visited their house and issued the threats.

“We cannot ignore these threats. Now my parents are insisting that I go back,” he said.
Even Nepalis are a part of the crowd which is exiting the State by the minute. Pradhan, a Nepali said he was sick of the harassment faced in the last 4-5 days.

“I have been so miserable. Some people came to my door and told me to leave,” he said.
Rohim from Assam who is travelling back home with two of his friends had a different story to tell.

“Everybody here is telling me that they are fleeing expecting violence, but I am going back with my friends, because my people want me to come back to help them after the violence with Muslims,” he said.

A student from Sikkim claimed that an autorickshaw driver “kind of threatened me” when he was travelling to college on Tuesday. 

During the journey, the driver asked him whether he knew anything about the violence in Assam. “Aap logon ke jaane ka waqt aagaya. Ramzan ke baad chale jaana,” (It’s time for you people to leave the City; you should go after Ramzan) the student, who preferred anonymity, quoted the driver as saying.

He says the driver did not shout at him but his tone sounded “kind of a threat”.

UPDATE (12:35 PM)

Bangalore cops scotch rumours as northeast students flee.

Wild rumours have been spreading, causing panic, that the people from the northeast region would be attacked after the Id-ul-Fitr August 20 to avenge the Assam violence, in which 74 lives were lost."

News Sources: Indian Express, CNN-IBN, PTI, The Hindu,DHNS

India: The Land Of The Largest Number of Separatist Movements in The WORLD

India – The White Elephant, The land of the largest number of Separatist Movements in The World.

English: Map of the British Indian Empire from Imperial Gazetteer of India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Have you ever questioned why India is spoken positively in Western Media in this last decade. This last decade where the world was once more bi-polar, the Western world looked to the loyal Hindus and extended a hand of friendship very similar to the East India Company.

Beyond the marketing, glam of silos of investments in Delhi & Mumbai the nation is not held together and nor is it stable. With the worlds most poorest and systematic segregation of communities, ethnicities and religions it is far from the secular and democratic utopia it declares itself to be. This is a very schizophrenic nation where the power is held in silos within a selected historic Brahmin & upper caste Hindu strong holds.

Violence against minorities and what these Hindus term the minority commuities continues even today, against Dalits, Muslims, Christians & Sikhs. This is a nation of many but ruled by a few holding the vast majority captive and at gun point. India has much to do if it wishes for progression and equality.

Flag adopted by the Indian National Congress in 1931. First hoisted on 1931-10-31 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is a little known fact, an unwrit law that if your Dalit or Muslim you will find it 10 times harder to find employment or place to live including rent, it is 10 times harder for Muslim and Dalit children to secure a place in a reputable university.

This is a nation that promotes itself as being modern, progressive but is still very much holding onto it’s colonial past and plagued with traditions and cultures stemming from a prehistoric faith that treats fellow humans as bi-products. An extremely zealot, religious nation where the upper class Hindus see himself closest to God and others as insects that they would see crushed.

Soon after India’s independence it was a given assumption that India, because of its diversities, will not survive as a single state, but will break up into separate states. In the brutal manne rin which Independent India crushed many separtist movements for legitimate nations seeking to reclaim their nations from The British.

India Gate (Photo credit: aroris)

Since India’s independence in 1947 there were many attempts by different communities in India to establish independent countries and this continues to this day. These calls for indpendence are legitimate born out of Indian opression and occupation but subsequent neglect of some once very resource rich and hihgly skilled nations that had fell to the British Raj.

In Kashmir, in north India, there were organizations and underground organizations which demanded first to attach Kashmir to Pakistan and later on started demanding an independent Kashmir state.
In Punjab, to the south of Kashmir, the Sikhs demanded an independent Sikh country to be called Khalistan.

English: KLF Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In north- east India as in Kashmir to this day there are demands for separate states by different groups. North -east India was, during British period, province of Assam. In this region which borders China, there are many communities which are referred to under Indian law as tribes. These tribal people have Chinese appearance and speak in languages from the Sino-Tibetian family. Since India’s independence, many tribal communities in this region, in the beginning with Chinese support, tried to establish independent states apart from India and witnesed very recent just how volatile this reason is. In the 1960s rebellions from Mizoram region even declared independence. The Indian army brutally suppressed these rebellions with great attrocities.

The north east of modern India and South East continue to strive for independence and continue to wage a organised freedom struggle.

Flag of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In south India, before India’s independence there was a demand for an independent Dravidstan for the whole of south India. After India independence, this demand was mild down for autonomous Dravidian states within the Indian union. But the Tamilians who emigrated from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka demand an independent state in north Sri Lanka and it is presumed they receive lot of support from Indian Tamilians.
India always quick to point the finger at others often forget that it is a damning insult to secular and democratic ideals. Many Westerners are oblivious to the poverty and displacement of wealth / investment in India. India is a white elephant – a facade and continues to be very unstable.

Flag of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With an alignment with USA to contain or harm Chinese interests in Asia pacific and to destabilise Pakistan through Afghanistan. India also gets lost in the glam and marketing in its new found accolades emanating from the West and does not realise just how a volatile game she plays. India is not a stable nation, far from it be this socially or economically and its communal differences can very easily be its downfall.
A rise in Hindu terror groups tareting Muslims, Sikhs & Christians as seen in Gujerat, Punjab and Orissa can stoke the fire that can engulf the nation.

Unable to resolve its issues internally it uses the Hindu right wing organisations to crush dissent from within not realising this self flagellation can cost her daily. Unable to provide for its many homeless and poor and lost in the marekting of shining India and is knowingly being pushed to support an American agenda in Central Asia but also Asia Pacific that will have long term repercussions on its very fragile and volatile federation.

English: Photograph showing cadres of the cadres of the armed separatist group, PREPAK (People’s Revolutionary Party, Kangleipak) of Manipur. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is a list of just some of these sepratist movements;
1. National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
2. United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS)
3. Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)
4. Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF)
5. Dima Halim Daogah (DHD)
6. Karbi National Volunteers (KNV)
7. Rabha National Security Force (RNSF)
8. Koch-Rajbongshi Liberation Organisation (KRLO)
9. Hmar People’s Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
10. Karbi People’s Front (KPF)
11. Tiwa National Revolutionary Force (TNRF)
12. Bircha Commando Force (BCF)
13. Bengali Tiger Force (BTF)

Banner of the UNLF (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

14. Adivasi Security Force (ASF)
15. All Assam Adivasi Suraksha Samiti (AAASS)
16. Gorkha Tiger Force (GTF)
17. Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front (BVYLF)
18. United Liberation Front of Barak Valley
19. United National Liberation Front (UNLF)
20. People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
21. People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)
22. The above mentioned three groups now operate from a unified platform,

india kerala boat people (Photo credit: FriskoDude)

23. the Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF)
24. Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)
25. Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)
26. Manipur Liberation Tiger Army (MLTA)
27. Iripak Kanba Lup (IKL)
28. People’s Republican Army (PRA)
29. Kangleipak Kanba Kanglup (KKK)
30. Kangleipak Liberation Organisation (KLO)

English: JKDLP flag (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

31. Revolutionary Joint Committee (RJC)
32. National Socialist Council of Nagaland — Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM)
33. People’s United Liberation Front (PULF)
34. Kuki National Army (KNA)
35. Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)
36. Kuki National Organisation (KNO)
37. Kuki Independent Army (KIA)

Kashmiris dont think of themselves as Indians.English: Location of Jammu and Kashmir in India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

38. Kuki Defence Force (KDF)
39. Kuki International Force (KIF)
40. Kuki National Volunteers (KNV)
41. Kuki Liberation Front (KLF)
42. Kuki Security Force (KSF)
43. Kuki Liberation Army (KLA)
44. Kuki Revolutionary Front (KRF)
45. United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF)
46. Hmar People’s Convention (HPC)
47. Hmar People’s Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
48. Hmar National Army (HNA)
49. Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA)
50. Zomi Revolutionary Volunteers (ZRV)
51. Indigenous People’s Revolutionary Alliance(IRPA)
52. Kom Rem People’s Convention (KRPC)
53. Chin Kuki Revolutionary Front (CKRF)
54. Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)
55. Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC)
56. People’s Liberation Front of Meghalaya (PLF-M)
57. Hajong United Liberation Army (HULA)
58. National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) – NSCN(IM)
59. National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) – NSCN (K)
60. Naga National Council (Adino) – NNC (Adino)
61. Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)
62. Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)
63. International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)
64. Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)
65. All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF)
66. Bhindrawala Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTFK)
67. Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA)
68. Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF)
69. Khalistan Armed Force (KAF)
70. Dashmesh Regiment
71. Khalistan Liberation Organisation (KLO)
72. Khalistan National Army (KNA)
73. National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)
74. All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF)
75. Tripura Liberation Organisation Front (TLOF)
76. United Bengali Liberation Front (UBLF)
77. Tripura Tribal Volunteer Force (TTVF)
78. Tripura Armed Tribal Commando Force (TATCF)
79. Tripura Tribal Democratic Force (TTDF)
80. Tripura Tribal Youth Force (TTYF)
81. Tripura Liberation Force (TLF)
82. Tripura Defence Force (TDF)
83. All Tripura Volunteer Force (ATVF)
84. Tribal Commando Force (TCF)
85. Tripura Tribal Youth Force (TTYF)
86. All Tripura Bharat Suraksha Force (ATBSF)
87. Tripura Tribal Action Committee Force (TTACF) Socialist Democratic
88. Front of Tripura (SDFT)
89. All Tripura National Force (ATNF)
90. Tripura Tribal Sengkrak Force (TTSF)
91. Tiger Commando Force (TCF)
92. Tripura Mukti Police (TMP)
93. Tripura Rajya Raksha Bahini (TRRB)
94. Tripura State Volunteers (TSV)
95. Tripura National Democratic Tribal Force (TNDTF)
96. National Militia of Tripura (NMT)
97. All Tripura Bengali Regiment (ATBR)
98. Bangla Mukti Sena (BMS)
99. All Tripura Liberation Organisation (ATLO)
100. Tripura National Army (TNA)
101. Tripura State Volunteers (TSV)
102. Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT)
103. Mizoram
104. Bru National Liberation Front
105. Hmar People’s Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
106. Arunachal Pradesh
107. Arunachal Dragon Force (ADF)
108. Left-wing Extremist groups
109. People’s Guerrilla Army
110. People’s War Group
111. Maoist Communist Centre
112. Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)
113. Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Janashakti Other Extremist Groups
114. Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT)

Violence Against NE Students: MPs Ask Centre To Take Action

New Delhi, Aug 15 : Anguished over the violence against Northeastern students in some parts of the country (Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore), several MPs from the region on Tuesday asked the Centre to advise the concerned states to take firm and punitive action against the perpetrators.

In a joint letter to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, the MPs from several states and parties sought his immediate intervention in the matter urging him to ascertain the amount of damage already done and "bringing this unnecessary backlash to a halt".

"With deep anguish, we, the MPs representing several Northeastern states, wish to bring to your notice the horrific incidents of backlash against Northeastern students in the cities of Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and other metropolitan cities," they said.

They urged Shinde to advise the state governments to "take firm and punitive action against the perpetrators of this violence".

The signatories included PD Rai (Sikkim), Thokchom Meinya and T Baite (Manipur), Dip Gogoi and Ranee Narah (Assam), CM Chang (Nagaland), CL Ruala (Mizoram) and Ninong Ering (Arunachal Pradesh).