Local Muslims Threat Leads to Mass Exodus by NE Workers from Bangalore, Hyderabad

Hydrabad : The woes of citizens from Assam and North East seem to have no end, with the the latest being death threats issued to migrant workers living in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune etc. Following death threats from the Muslim community, as many as 70% of migrant workers are reported to have left Hyderabad. Bangalore too follows suit, with workers having been given a deadline of 20 August in leaving the city. However, following support and full fledged assurance from the Karnataka government and Hindu organizations, a general calm prevails in Karnataka.

The Bangalore Railway station was flooded with hundreds of youth from North East, who were rushing to return to their homeland. However, state Home Minister arrived at the spot promptly and brought the situation under control. BJP central leadership has directed the Karnataka government to swing into action immediately and convince students from North East not to leave the state.

Recently, Hindu family hailing from Assam has been forced to leave Bangalore before Ramzan, owing to threats from local muslims. The couple were living in Chalagatta, near Old Airport road. Members of Hindu organisations rushed to the spot as soon as they received the news. But the family had already left the place by then. An activist of a Hindu organisation said that the working class people have no contacts, which makes it impossible to trace them. “They are without a network or contacts here. They couldn’t trace or contact them to offer security or get more details,” said the person connected to the Hindu organization.

The threats issued in Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka allegedly state that those hailing from the North East must leave the city within 20 August. A young professional at an MNC hailing from Dhemaji district, Assam even reported that a co-worker was attacked with sharp weapons by miscreants in Jigani, Bangalore. The victim is supposed to have been injured in 4 spots and has been admitted to a city hospital. ”We have not able to book train tickets so far. But, we are thinking of leaving the city before the deadline comes even without tickets. We don’t want to risk our lives here”, he added. Also 4 youths are reportedly missing and 3 women hailing from the North East faced attacks from goons, within the city.

Migrant workers from Assam numbering over 3000, who dwell in Hyderabad have also been gripped by panic, following death threats . These workers have been settled in the city for over a decade in areas like Siddique Nagar and Anjaiah Nagar in Hi-Tec City, taking up jobs as security guards, housekeeping staff etc at the various IT firms dotting Hi-Tec City of Hyderabad. Many of them left in a rush for Assam last week, leaving behind their belongings.

Reports from locals confirm the situation. Local residents have stated that over a hundred of houses have been deserted. This has affected local security agencies which have had a major chunk of security workers from Assam. ”A lot of my friends have left in the last two days in panic. I tried to stop them but they kept saying they were being targeted and that their families back home were asking them to come back,” said Rajan Saki. He hails from Assam and has a security agency in Hyderabad.

“We have a complaint from the Assamese community that they were threatened. We are in the process of identifying who threatened them and investigating the matter. We have asked the community members to approach the police if there is any problem. We are also trying to identify the total number of people who have left for Assam,” said D Tirumala Rao, police commissioner, Cyberabad. The Madhapur police have posted a picket at Siddique Nagar, with regular and constant patrolling of the two bastis at Siddique Nagar and Anjaiah Nagar. Patrolling is stringent at night too. Police said they are doing their best to assure safety. They have passed contact numbers of police officials, in case of emergency.

( Source - India wire)