The exodus of northeastern states’ people from Bangalore significantly reduced on Saturday, as hardly over hundred tickets were booked for travel to Guwahati on Indian Railways. The Indian Railway officials did not announce any special train on Saturday and there was no regular train as well.
According to railway sources, the number of unreserved tickets booked to Guwahati touched 29,363 as on Friday night.
Over the last three days, as many as eight special trains with 151 coaches have departed from Bangalore to the northeast. With no direct express train to Guwahati from Bangalore on Saturday, as it is operated thrice in a week — Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, absence of northeast people, especially students in thousands at the city railway station was conspicuous. Workers and students from Northeastern states living in Bangalore have been leaving the city on fears of attacks on them after August 20.
As part of its measures to instill confidence among the people of northeast, the Karnataka government deployed six companies (100 soldiers in each company) of Rapid Action force (RAF) at various places in the city besides increasing police patrolling. In a late evening action, the City police arrested six persons on Friday on charges of attack, intimidation and sending threatening SMSes, to the people of the NE region.
Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa visited the railway station today and said around 30,000 North-Easterners have left Bangalore in the last three days.
