| North Easterners’ exodus continues |
NEW DELHI/BANGALORE Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said miscreants spreading rumours that have led to people belonging to northeast flee from Bangalore, Pune and other parts of the country, should be brought to book.
Making a statement, Singh said at stake is not just unity and integrity of the country, but also communal harmony. “Any miscreant fanning rumours should be brought to book,” he said.
“Whatever may have happened in Kokrajhar (in Asom) should not be used as an excuse to fan rumours. The government will create a feeling of security among people of northeast in any and every part of the country,” he said.
“This country belongs to them as much as it belongs to others. We must curb all the elements which are out to create trouble on this sensitive issue,” he said, adding a message has to be sent out to all those who want to disturb peace in the country.
To check spread of rumours which has led to exodus of north eastern people from certain states, the federal government banned bulk SMSes and MMSes for 15 days across the country.
“We have banned bulk SMSes and MMSes for 15 days,” federal Home Secretary RK Singh said.
The decision was taken after reports of widespread circulation of SMSes and MMSes containing misleading information about Asom violence, threats to people of north-eastern origin living in other parts of the country and doctored videos.
The Lok Sabha on Friday rose as one to apply balm to people from northeast who are fleeing parts of the country driven by rumours of impending attacks on them and demanded strong action against those creating fear psychosis.
Leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj stressed on the need to rise above party lines and send a clear message that people from the northeast have the freedom to live, work and study wherever they wish in the country.
She said the government should create helplines to address grievances of the people from the northeast and step up patrolling across cities, particularly in areas and hostels where they reside in large numbers.
Appeals and assurances of safety by the Karnataka government notwithstanding, people from northeast continued to flee the state in hordes for the third consecutive day on Friday, driven by rumours of impending attacks.
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 trains and buses and rushing to railway counters to buy tickets.
More than 15,000 people have fled the city in the past two days following the rumours, official sources said on Friday.
Officials estimate the number of people from the northeast, including students, residing in Bangalore in the range of 250,000 and 275,000.
The government continued to reach out to the community urging them to stay on and assured them that it is committed to safeguarding their lives and property in Karnataka.
“We on behalf of people of Karnataka and government once again reassure the people of the northeastern community that they are safe and welcomed in Karnataka”, the government said in an advertisement.
Five persons were arrested on the charge of spreading rumours that triggered the exodus, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar said. Official sources said railways have arranged a special train to Guwahati.
North Easterners in Chennai are also leaving the city, even as police assured them that they were safe.
As its people continued to arrive from states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the Asom government sent its ministers to Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Agencies
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