Over three hundred Naga students and professional arrived Dimapur Monday availing train and flight services.
Of the 380 persons who came from various cities in India, 32 were students and professionals further heading for home state Manipur. They have been lodged at Circuit House, Dimapur under the initiatives of district administration and Dimapur Naga Students Union (DNSU). With this the total number of Nagas who have fled cities affected by hate and threat rumours now stood at around 651 till the filing this report.

While special trains were pressed into service by railway authorities on humanitarian grounds for the fleeing people from the north east, many airlines on the other hand, were taking advantage of the situations. One of those who arrived here, told Nagaland Post that normal air fares from Rs. 9000 were raised to Rs.20,000 on account of the “rush”.

Monday’s first arrival was past midnight around 1.30 a.m. when 36 Nagas registered themselves as fleeing from Bangalore following the widespread rumour of impending violence against people hailing from the Northeast in Bangalore. DC Dimapur N. Hushili Sema, however, said that there were four students and a couple who were directly warned by the locals to leave Bangalore.

Talking to Nagaland Post, P Khoashai Khiamniungan, who worked in a Bangalore based BPO said he and his wife were told to leave Bangalore by some local persons.
Khoashai who is a resident of Diphupar ‘B’ said that he and his wife decided to leave Bangalore after sensing threat to life. Another Naga student, Victoria Angami, who was pursuing law at Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian Law College, Bangalore also talking to Nagaland Post after her arrival at Dimapur railway station said that her roommate, an Assamese girl was threatened on her way to an ATM booth by Muslim youths to leave the city stating “Come August 20 and we will see.”

DNSU assistant general secretary Toniho Achumi, who is one of the volunteers keeping records of the incoming flow of Naga students and professional at Dimapur railway station said the total number of people who reached Dimapur railway station immediately after midnight were 36 (30 students and six persons who were working in Bangalore).

There were 29 students/professionals who arrived at Dimapur by flights. Most of these students and professional said that they feared untoward incidents might occur and even their parents pressurized them to return home sensing trouble.

Meanwhile, when contacted Zedino Seyie, a student in Bangalore told this daily that on August 12, the caretaker of the apartment where she had rented asked her to vacate before August 20 stating that the relatives of the landlord was to move in. She argued that it was not a valid reason as there were many vacant flats in the same apartment and also she had signed an agreement with the landlord which was valid till November 28.

Meanwhile, responding to the hate campaign against innocent Northeast students and professionals in Bangalore, Pune and other parts of India and subsequent rush to return home at the risk of their careers, DNSU have requested responsible organizations such as Muslim Council of Dimapur (MCD) and Dimapur Muslim Public Forum (DMPF) to appeal to their co-religious brethren in other parts of India to ensure safety of Northeast students and professionals.

DNSU president K. Mhachio told Nagaland Post that Northeast communities by and large have been tolerant and minority communities in Nagaland were witnessed to Naga hospitality irrespective of caste, creed or religion. He added that Northeast communities were now “vulnerable” and sought active and vocal participation of MCD and DMPF could go a long way in mitigating current hardships of Northeast “boys and girls” in other parts of India.

NSF condemns Aug 19 killing and assault
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) Monday strongly condemned August 19 incident near New Jalpaiguri station in which two persons from NE were killed and seven others injured after beating them up and pushing them out of the train. In a statement, NSF general secretary N. Ejanthung Ngullie termed the incident as the most outrageous action and said it has deeply infuriated the student’s federation.

While appealing to Northeast state governments and the centre to immediately identify the attackers and award befitting punishment on them, NSF said that the threats on Northeast people evolved out of the conflict between indigenous Bodo and Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam and subsequent inflammation of the situation by some “Muslim elements” through circulation of morphed MMS clips.

NSF also sought immediate answer from Muslim communities in Nagaland and other Northeast as to what have they actually done to contain the situation. Stating that the patience of NSF to maintain communal harmony seemed to have been taken as a “weakness or cowardice”, NSF said it has become clearly evident that the threat on Northeast people has become “true” and those who issued the threat have started implementing “hate terror”.

The student federation also warned that if the Muslim communities in Nagaland and Northeast did not act immediately to contain the “hate-filled action”, NSF was already prepared to start implementing what could be the befitting response.

NSF stated that Muslims in India especially Nagaland and Northeast should tell other Muslim brothers and the world about the “innocence of Nagas” and Northeast people to make them understand that the rumours originated from Pakistan and the Northeastern people have become the victims.