- Title: INDIA: MIGRATION Threats trigger exodus of northeastern people from Mumbai.
- Date: 17th August 2012
- Summary: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (AUGUST 17, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) EXTERIOR OF A RAILWAY STATION IN MUMBAI A BOARD READING 'LOKMANYA TILAK TERMINUS' IN HINDI PEOPLE WAITING AT THE RAILWAY STATION A GROUP OF YOUNGSTERS FROM NORTHEAST SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR A YOUNGMAN SITTING WATER BOTTLES BEING DISTRIBUTED TO THE PEOPLE AT THE STATION A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHEAST AT THE WAITING AREA A WOMAN SITTING PEOPLE SLEEPING IN THE WAITING AREA AT THE STATION A GROUP OF YOUNGSTERS SITTING PEOPLE SITTING A WOMAN SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) RAJU KUMAR, A LOCAL FROM NORTHEAST, SAYING: "When we go out at night, then the Muslims threaten us by saying that they will cut us into pieces. They say that you people are threatening us in Assam and killing us there, we will not spare you here. So, we are scared." A TRAIN STATIONED NEXT TO THE PLATFORM A FAMILY STANDING NEXT TO THEIR LUGGAGE PEOPLE WAITING AT THE PLATFORM A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHEAST SITTING/SLEEPING ON THE PLATFORM A GROUP OF YOUNG BOYS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SANJU, A LOCAL FROM NORTHEAST, SAYING: "First they beat up the students in Pune, about 10 students were beaten in Pune and now students are being targeted in Hyderabad and Bangalore. They are beating everyone, students as well as workers and forcing them to flee. The police has not said anything to us. As of now they (the miscreants) have not done anything to us." PEOPLE BOARDING A TRAIN A PASSENGER LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW PEOPLE BOARDING A TRAIN PEOPLE CRAMMED INSIDE THE TRAIN, GUWAHATI - LOK MANYA TILAK WRITTEN ON THE TRAIN PEOPLE SPEAKING TO THEIR LOVED ONES MOMENTS BEFORE THE TRAIN LEAVES (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AASHISH, A LOCAL FROM NORTHEAST, SAYING: "We are fleeing Mumbai, because our parents are worried. We are also leaving, because everyone is scared." PEOPLE READING NEWSPAPERS A GUN-TOTING POLICEMAN AT THE PLATFORM A PASSENGER LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW PEOPLE WAITING AT THE PLATFORM POLICE OFFICIALS STANDING POLICE MOVING WITH SNIFFER DOGS AT THE PLATFORM PEOPLE SITTING INSIDE THE TRAIN PEOPLE AT THE PLATFORM TRAIN LEAVING THE PLATFORM
- Embargoed: 3rd September 2012 16:38
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Crime,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAC6HOBMTL6H14V7G8M05VP90LP
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Thousands of frightened people from India's northeastern states flee Mumbai as fears grow of a backlash over violence against Muslims in Assam and neighbouring Myanmar.
Thousands of frightened people from India's northeastern states, fled from Mumbai city on Friday (August 17), as fears grew of a backlash over violence against Muslims in Assam state and neighbouring Myanmar.
Over the weekend, two people were killed and 55 wounded when about 10,000 people rioted in India's finanical capital after Muslims held a protest against violence involving members of their religion.
Muslims across India have been alarmed by clashes in recent weeks between indigenous people in Assam and Muslim settlers from Bangladesh. About 75 people have been killed and more than 400,000 displaced.
The violence has angered Muslims around the world and raised tension in India where religious and ethnic divisions have simmered for decades, occasionally erupting into communal blood-letting.
Rumours of revenge attacks by angry Muslims have been swirling, many carried on social media. Adding to the climate of fear was a knife attack on a Tibetan student in a town near Bangalore although the circumstances were not clear.
The jitters sent throngs of people from northeastern India to railway stations in the country's southern and western cities, looking for a ride home.
"When we go out at night, then the Muslims threaten us by saying that they will cut us into pieces. They say that you people are threatening us in Assam and killing us there, we will not spare you here. So, we are scared," said Raju Kumar from northeastern India.
Another said that students in several parts of the country were being targeted, which is why they preferred to flee the city.
"First they beat up the students in Pune, about 10 students were beaten in Pune and now students are being targeted in Hyderabad and Bangalore. They are beating everyone, students as well as workers and forcing them to flee. The police has not said anything to us. As of now they (the miscreants) have not done anything to us," said student, Sanju.
Some of them are returning to their home towns in the northeast as their parents expressed concern over their safety.
"We are fleeing Mumbai, because our parents are worried. We are also leaving, because everyone is scared," said Aashish from the northeast.
Railway authorities laid on two extra trains on Wednesday night (August 15) to take about 7,000 people on the two-day journey to Assam.
Assam's Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said rumours were spreading "like wildfire" over social media and mobile telephone text messages.
Analysts have accused political parties and religious organisations of exploiting ethnic tension for their ends.
The Hindu nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has in the past been accused of fomenting Hindu-Muslim violence, blames the Assam riots on uncontrolled immigration into the state from Muslim-majority Bangladesh. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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