The victims — Prakash Rai (28), Ajai Chetri (29), Rijan Gurung (22), Kumar Chetri (30) — told the police they were attacked by a three-member, “Urdu-speaking” gang 50 metres from their home in Neelasandra where they live with their families. Mr. Rai, Mr. Ajai Chetri and Mr. Kumar Chetri own roadside momo stalls and Mr. Gurung works in a salon.

Outside a mall

It was the second attack, though, that had the police confounded as those arrested belonged not just to the Muslim community but included a Christian as well as a Hindu man.The victims in the second case — Lailan (26), Robert (25) and Sangpe (19) — were attacked outside a mall in Shantinagar. In their statement to the police, these men from Manipur said that Abrar Ahmed, a mall employee, accosted them around 1.45 p.m. and sought to know if they were from the northeast.

When they replied in the affirmative, they were attacked by a gang that seemed to be acquainted with Abrar. The police arrested eight people in connection with this case and identified five of them as Abrar, Vinay, Antony, Salman and Mubarak. They did not belong to any organisation, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda.

Beaten up

Detailing the first attack, Mr. Ajai Chetri told The Hindu he was walking back home at around 1 p.m. on Friday along with Mr. Kumar Chetri and Mr. Gurung when the gang pounced upon them in the narrow bylane. “They punched and kicked us as well as hit us with a helmet,” he said. When Mr. Rai, who heard their pleas for help and tried to intervene, one of the attackers picked up a spade and hit him.

“I was carrying my child when I was hit. They wanted to hit me on the head but missed narrowly,” Mr. Rai said and added that the attackers were speaking in Urdu. “There were several people around but they just watched,” said Mr. Gurung. They had decided not to return to their village following assurances from local leaders and the police. “The police patrol was stationed around 100 metres away but the attackers vanished by the time they arrived,” claimed Mr. Ajai Chetri.

Promise belied

Tall promises made by the police top brass on Thursday sounded hollow in the case of Alo Sumi of Nagaland. He was in his neighbourhood in Koramangala 8th Block when a gang of 10 approached him threateningly and asked him to leave. He told The Hindu he made a dash for his house and locked himself in. Calls to the Koramangala police were met with a cold response, he said, and they asked him to contact the Adugodi police. The latter did not get there “in five minutes” as was promised. Instead, it took them more than three hours, well after 10 p.m., to arrive at his doorstep.

Threatening calls

The J.P Nagar police registered a case of intimidation based on a complaint by Rajiv Newar from Assam, who said he had received five threatening calls from a mobile phone late on Thursday. The Ashoknagar police registered three separate cases of intimidation the same day. One was filed by Marylyn Bou (26) from Manipur who claimed she was threatened at Ejipura. The second was filed by D. Peter (26) from Assam who claimed he had been waylaid and threatened by a gang at Austin Town. On Thursday evening, Bikash from Mizoram and a resident of Anepalya had registered a case of intimidation.

The Ashoknagar police station received two other cases by late Friday. According to police sources, a complaint was filed by a 23-year-old Manipuri boy, Cunningham, who was threatened in Johnson Market. He sustained hand and leg injuries, the police added. Two boys, Yantsuthung Erui and Renthungo Odyuo, both 21 and Jain College students hailing from Nagaland, were threatened by a gang in Shantinagar between 6 and 7 p.m.

2 - The Chief Minister also reassured them that nobody has been attacked in the state as a result of the ethnic violence in Assam and that the state is providing them with adequate security. "Many people from the North-East have been peacefully living in Bangalore for the last 10-12 years. Some rumours have created fear in them. But there is no base for this fear. No untoward incident has been reported of any attack on North-Eastern citizens in Bangalore. So I urge them to stay here." Mr Shettar further added that "Bangalore is an international city. People from many states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra live here. We are providing protection to all, particularly to the people from the North-East. We have appointed a nodal officer to look into the matter and have set up helpline numbers. Patrolling has also begun is areas where people from the North-East reside."

3 - But despite several assurances from the Chief Minister and also from the Centre, many people from the North-East are heading home. In Bangalore, for the second night in a row, two special trains departed for Guwahati, in addition to the regular train that runs every evening. Sources say another special train has been arrange for 2 pm today due to huge rush. Officials maintain that this rush is partly because of the long weekend. But some students from states like Assam and Manipur say their parents are worried about their safety and want them back at home. Nearly 7,000 people boarded the trains on Wednesday night and another 10,000 left on Thursday. Over one lakh people from the North-East live in Bangalore.

4 - Karnataka Home Minister R Ashok visited a train station last night and reassured the passengers that no community is at risk in Karnataka. Speaking to NDTV, he too reiterated that there is no threat to the people from the North-East. "Bangalore is safe. No untoward has happened. They are 99 percent rumours. But we are being very cautious and alert," he said. Mr Ashok will meet with senior police officers to take stock of the safety measure today. Bangalore Police Commissioner Jyothiprakash Mirji also visited the railway station yesterday and said, "Do not panic or pay heed to rumours."

5 - The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered surveillance of websites and social networking sites to identify those who are misreporting facts and circulating messages to instigate violence. Acknowledging that rumours and threatening text messages are fuelling tension, the Prime Minister said yesterday, "We must work together to ensure that all people from other states do not feel threatened by rumour-mongering and SMSes. We have to maintain peace at any cos." He also urged all political parties to "work together to give a feeling of confidence" to all people affected in the recent violence in Assam.

6 - Student representatives of Bangalore's north-eastern community met on Thursday morning with Muslim leaders who have said they will continue to disseminate messages of peace. "Those feeling unsafe may take shelter in our homes and mosques. But please do not leave the city. It is yours as much as it is mine," said Akbar Ali, Convenor, Bangalore's Muslim Welfare Association.

7 - Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Thursday afternoon that Indians from the North-East, living in cities like Bangalore, should stay where they are. He phoned the Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday and asked that his administration ensure the safety of students and young professionals in Bangalore. Sources say Mr Gogoi has decided to send two ministers each to Bangalore and Hyderabad to interact with government and community leaders there to allay fears. They may also go to Pune, sources added.

8 - After reports of new ethnic violence in Assam, the Army will be deployed in the state to help maintain law and order; the state government has formally sought its assistance today. Nine columns of the Army (about 600 personnel) will be stationed in Nalbari, an important town in Lower Assam which has been hit by ethnic violence.

9 - A car was set ablaze on Wednesday night in Baksa, which is in lower Assam, and was one of the districts affected in the recent clashes between Bodo tribals and Bengali-speaking Muslims. Angry locals, in response, torched a bus and a bridge on Thursday morning. Nearly 80 people have died in the last month in the ethnic clashes. Till recently, four lakh people were packed into relief camp.

10 - In New Delhi, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said yesterday, "Panic due to rumours in Karnataka is a very serious issue. The Karnataka government will do everything to protect the people from the North-East. It is a case of concerted effort to create divide among people." She also urged the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to build confidence among people from the North-East who study or work in cities like Hyderabad and Pune.

Helpline numbers in Karnataka for North-Eastern community:

- (080) 22250999
- (080) 22942222
DCP (Intellligence) VS D'Souza: (0)9480801020

NALBARI : RTI activist and Team Anna member Akhil Gogoi was attacked on Friday in Dharmapur area of Nalbari district in Assam by suspected Youth Congress activists. Gogoi, was visiting Punni village in Dharmapur area to take stock of the flood situation, was allegedly attacked with sticks and sharp weapons, the police said. Gogoi suffered head injuries and was admitted to Nalbari Civil Hospital in critical condition.

In his FIR he alleged that the attack was carried out by six youth Congress activists at the behest of Assam Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamani Sen Deka. "They were Congress's goons. I know the names of the assailants. One of them is Pappu Ali who is joined the Youth Congress. They made repeated attacks on me and they were taking the name of Nilamani Sen Deka," he said. Deka represents Dharmapur assembly constituency.

GUWAHATI : Rescuers on Monday scoured the waters of the Brahmaputra River amidst torrential rain to locate the over 100 missing in Assam’s worst boat disaster that left 103 dead even as authorities feared that the toll may rise. “The death toll may rise as more than 100 are missing and the exact toll will be known after the search operation,” Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Kumud Chandra Kalita said.

Rescuers and divers of the Army, BSF and NDRF with speedboats were searching the waters on Tuesday morning amidst torrential rain which was continuing since Monday night to locate more bodies as the ferry was carrying over 300 passengers when it was caught in a storm and capsized in Dhubri district on Monday, he said.

“The National Disaster Relief Force, BSF and Army and personnel of the district administration are continuing search operations amidst torrential rain which has continued till this morning,” Mr. Kalita said. The ferry was sailing from Dhubri ferry ghat to Medartary on south bank of the river when it was caught in a storm.

The bodies have been kept at the Dhubri Civil Hospital. President Pratibha Patil had expressed grief over the loss of lives, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of all help for relief and funds for families of the victims.

The chief minister has already ordered an inquiry. Another 12 persons were missing in another boat capsize in the same area on Monday. However AP reported that 103 bodies have been fished out of a river after a packed ferry boat capsized in Assam.

“Tea has contributed immensely to the economic growth and social developments in India,” he added. According to him, 83 percent of all households in India consumes tea. This is increasing at the rate of 3 percent annually. “India is the biggest producer of Black Tea in the world with a turnover of Rs.10,000 crore annually,” he said.

Baishya also spoke about the medicinal qualities of tea. “I therefore urge the government to declare tea as the national drink of India,” he said. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had said earlier that the state, where tea was discovered in 1823, would urged the central government to declare tea as the national drink.

The move has cheered several groups like the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA) and Bharatiya Chah Parishad (BCP). “Tea undoubtedly deserves this coveted tag,” said NETA chairman Bidyananda Barkakoty. Assam is the largest tea producing state of the country.