Assam violence: Human Rights body claims 50,000 fled to northeast

GUWAHATI: The Asian Centre for Human Rights has claimed that over 50,000 people from northeast have fled to their homelands from different parts of the country.

After riots in western Assam between Bodo tribals and Muslims last month, miscreants spread rumours about threat to people from northeast and there were also stray incidents of threats and attacks on them, which resulted in the exodus.

Thousands have fled from Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mysore, Mumbai, Nasik and Aurangabad. Sources in Kamrup metropolitan administration said on Monday that around 7,500 northeasterners arrived in Guwahati railway station from the southern and western parts of India.

In a letter to home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AHRC director, Suhas Chakma, demanded creation of an environment for people from the northeast to file complaints against threats and immediate steps to identify those spreading fake SMS/MMS and/or intimidating people of northeast. He wanted fast-track courts to try such cases.

AHRC has recommended that district magistrates of each district of northeast India be directed to launch a help line and for help desks in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, under the supervision of the home ministry, to negotiate with companies/agencies for reemploying those who had to leave their jobs.

The rights body has also sought a one-time financial assistance to those who had to flee, to re-start their lives, and effective measures for their safety and security on their return.