A three-member team, comprising Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, AT Mondol, Information and Technology Minister and AL Hek, Water Resources Development Minister, after their fact-finding mission to these two States said the situation there is normal for people from North East to return.

The trio said that the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Maharastra have given assurance that people from the North East would be given adequate security and therefore there is no need to fear, despite reports of freash violence in Assam.

Hordes of people from the North East have fled from southern States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharastra after SMSs and MMSs threatened reprisal in the wake of violence in Assam.

The Meghalaya fact-finding team, when pointed out that there has been a freash wave of violence in Assam and whether it was a bit too soon to rush into these States, they reiterated the assurance given by Karnataka and Maharastra.

“The Government of these two States have assured that there was nothing to fear and all necessary help would be extended,” Mondal reiterated.

About six lakh people from the North East are staying in Karnataka and in Bangalore alone there are 2.5 lakh North-easterners who are pursuing their studies or working there.

However, there is no reliable data about the number of people from the North East living in Maharastra, but the number could be close to Karnataka’s figure of six lakh.

“We appeal to the students, especially, to return to their respective colleges and universities in Karnataka and Maharastra for their studies as the situation has normalised in these two States,” Lyngdoh said.

She said that the officials of the two States are taking no chances and are providing all the help that is necessary, she added. There were 105 meetings held with students from the North East in Maharastra at the police station level to get feedback and provide required assistance, Mondol added.