SHILLONG: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Modi has apologised for the harassment meted out to train passengers in Bihar and assured that the Bihar government has initiated a number of preemptive steps to check such hooliganism.
A day after a group of residents of Bihar tried to enter the Shramik Express in which stranded citizens of North East were travelling, State Planning Board Chairman, Lambor Malngiang on Monday took up the matter with Bihar government and sought its intervention to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
According to Malngiang, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar has assured him that they would deploy district magistrates in the railway stations besides deploying Railway police to ensure that the people travelling in the trains do not face any disturbance.
Lambor also said that the main area of concern is from Buxar till Kishanganj in Bihar and hence has asked Bihar government to ensure that they take all measures in this regard. “We don’t blame anyone in this situation as everyone is eager to return home. Those at the railway station wanted to go to Katihar from Danapur, which is a distance of over 300 km. However, we will send a strong note to the Ministry of Railways on security in trains,” he added.
It is learnt that even Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar held a meeting about the incident on Monday and the Government of Bihar has asked Railway Ministry to ensure that more Railway police are deployed in railway stations.
Earlier, Bihari Welfare Association, Meghalaya held discussions with Malngiang on the matter and condemned the incident. It also sent a letter to the Bihar government condemning the attack and seeking the latter’s intervention in preventing recurrence of such incidents.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong also expressed concern over the harassment faced by the returnees who were on their way to the state.
“Our students suffered a lot. I am sorry to say that”, he told reporters on Monday. He informed that the state acted immediately and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also spoke to the Railways minister Piyush Goyal.
Tynsong said that the persons who attempted to enter the train were local stranded labourers.
It may be mentioned that locals in Bihar pelted stones at the special train carrying returnees to the Northeastern states. They also wanted to travel in the train resulting in congestion.
Meanwhile, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Titosstarwell Chyne has also condemned the stone-pelting incident.
He has urged the government to ensure that such incidents are not repeated as there are many other returnees who are yet to arrive.
The BJP Meghalaya in a statement condemned the incident saying that the miscreants, who wanted to travel back to their homes for celebrating their festival on Monday, not only misbehaved, but also physically assaulted the passengers.
The State President of BJP, Ernest Mawrie, expressed shock that such an incident could take place despite the lockdown measures enforced by the local administration of Bihar.
He urged the people to cooperate with each other during the COVID-19 threat as the government is plying these trains for the benefit of stranded workers, etc. and not for facilitating people to celebrate their religious festivals.
