This Article is From Aug 27, 2012

'Come home, we are with you,' Bangalore urges North Easterners

Bangalore: Bangalore has seen a flurry of meetings talking of harmony, peace and the need for mutual understanding. The Karnataka government has been making the best of attempts to lay to rest the rumours that saw thousands of people from the North-East leave the city.

"I met the honorable Chief Minister. I explained all the details about security arrangement. I hope we are one nation. We are all Indians. Banglore is a safe place," said Karnataka's Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, R Ashoka.

"I personally met some friends of Assam, students and working, they are willing to go. I'm confident about that," he added.

Mr Ashoka also visited the railway station this weekend, going the whole way to spread the message that those who left should come back to Bangalore.

And it's not just the government - faced with the mass departure, the residents of Bangalore too have been giving reassuring messages to those who have left.

"North East is one of the parts of our body. I am standing here, like India. This is north east, this is south east - we can't hurt any of our body parts," said a resident.

"They can't live with fear forever, you know, we are trying to encourage them to be back. This is their place, their country and it is their fundamental right, as a college, as faculty members, as a Principal, we are all trying to bring them back and they have to stay here, as they are provided with all things in the college," said another.

However, despite these efforts, there really has been no reverse migration yet. It is a long train ride from Guwahati to Bangalore - and the Karnataka government hopes that in a while people will find the confidence to return.
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