Chennai: A special train from Guwahati, ferrying back people from the Northeast who had fled the southern cities following rumours of attacks on the community, reached the city late on Monday evening. The Bangalore-bound train left Guwahati on Saturday afternoon. As the train chugged into platform number seven at the Chennai Central Railway Station around 9.30 pm, a handful of lensmen and journalists rushed to the coaches hoping to catch a glimpse of the returnees.
However, only a few Northeasterners alighted from the train. The rest of the passengers were predominantly from different parts of West Bengal. “I am happy to return to Bangalore after 15 days,” said Sonu, a resident of Siliguri in northern West Bengal. The lady, who was accompanied by her family and a small girl, said, “We left Bangalore on August 16 along with several panic-stricken men and women about a fortnight back.” She lived in R T Nagar in the Garden City.
Another Northeastern family, also residing nearby, claimed that they never fled the city against the backdrop of the rumours. “Though initially, our peer groups frightened us over the rumours, our family decided to return,” they said.
But Krishna, hailing from Dhemaji district in Assam, said that he might go back to his hometown for good if the atmosphere at Bangalore was not conducive for his survival. An employee with a research centre at Bangalore, he said, “My parents cautioned me from moving to Bangalore again. I am moving back to my workplace after assurances from my superiors that I would be safe there.”
The train came as a blessing for a section of Bangalore-bound commuters in Chennai who boarded the unreserved coaches to reach their destination.
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