No reason to leave: northeast natives

MUMBAI: A section of migrants from the northeast does not see a reason to flee the city despite the violence perpetrated on people from their region in several states and the condemnation of attacks on Muslims in Assam during last Saturday's protest rally.
"We cannot leave and show them that we are victims. We are strong and proud to be from the northeast," said Deewan Mara, a first-year arts student from St Xavier's College."It wouldn't help the situation in Assam if we're attacked here, because the repercussions there could be severe and long term," he added. Mara is from Arunachal Pradesh and lives in Chembur with another student from his state.
Another student from Manipur, Biken Nyicyor, feels there's not much of a threat to them in Mumbai as compared to other places like Pune, Bangalore and Andhra Pradesh. "I don't think people from the northeast should leave," said Nyicyor, an MA student at Mumbai University's Kalina campus. He resides near a mosque in Kalina and says he does not feel threatened by Muslims in the locality.
However, some students have decided to leave the city, if only to keep their parents and relatives back home from worrying for their safety. Jumngam Ette, a postgraduate student at St Xavier's College, was all set to leave the city on Saturday. Ette, an Arunachal Pradesh native, is not as petrified as her parents, but she has agreed to leave Mumbai for the time being.
Ette's parents have asked her and her younger sister, who studies in Bangalore, to return to their hometown before Ramzan. Ette said, "Some of my friends are leaving from Chennai. I asked my younger sister to accompany them" Ette has booked an air ticket at Rs 37,000 for her sister.
"I was waiting for my college festival to get over, so I booked my ticket for Saturday. There have been rumours that the situation will worsen after Ramzan. Messages are being circulated among students. My parents have asked me to return home and leave after the situation calms down," said Ette, whose parents have been calling her up constantly to check on her as she lives alone in Navi Mumbai.
Central Railway chief public relations officer V Malegaonkar denied any drastic rise in rail ticket bookings to the northeastern states.
Explaining the exodus of northeast natives-especially the labour class, psychiatrist Harish Shetty said, "Such an exodus is common following a disaster. It is caused due to hyper-arousal and hyper-vigilance among the affected. Attacks and vandalism create fear leading to hyper-arousal. After attacks on their community, their faculties are in an aroused state, which causes them to react in this manner."
Most migrants who were fleeing the city, who TOI spoke to, admitted to not having seen the text messages, threatening them of violence.