Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 6
The Naga Students Union Kolkata (NSUK) on May 6 sought directives from the Government of Nagaland regarding evacuation of stranded Nagas from West Bengal (WB).
“We have been receiving numerous frantic calls from stranded Nagas here. Many are finding it difficult to survive since they have exhausted their ration and money, due to which majority of the stranded people are apprehensive,” the NSUK said in its statement.
Speaking to The Morung Express, NSUK president Dinenli Kath said that there are more than 400 Nagas presently awaiting return to Nagaland which include people from different districts in West Bengal.
Among the stranded people, students account for around 50 while the rest are working people and those who came to Kolkata for personal work and business travel. "These are just the ones we have confirmed till date. We are still receiving distress calls and there are other unregistered cases," she said.
Stranded and anxious
In its statement, the NSUK mentioned that they came to know from media reports that Nagaland Government is about to evacuate Nagas in a phased manner.
Every day, the Union receives countless distress calls from Nagas stranded in West Bengal seeking information on when they can return home, Kath said.
There are also cases of racial attacks on Nagas, Kath added.
A young Naga boy was reportedly beaten up and four of his friends along with him were asked to leave their rented house by the neighbors. At the victims' behest, the issue was not highlighted, she revealed. There are also many other instances where Nagas are facing a hard time during the nationwide lockdown, she added. Recently some Nagas stranded in Howrah who had to avail food from a relief camp were assisted by the DRC Kolkata House after the union’s intervention.
These reasons, added with depleting resources are making stranded Nagas more anxious and eager to return home, Kath said.
In the absence of a clear official directive, the union is also unable to give any assurance to the people, the NSUK president said. The union is not in a position to rehabilitate or give them relief, she said, and sought clear directive from Nagaland Government as to when the stranded Nagas will be evacuated from West Bengal.
According to the NSUK president, communication from the State Government was only regarding data of stranded people and no further action on the same has been taken so far.
It may be mentioned that state Chief Secretary, Temjen Toy on May 4, said that separate guidelines will be issued in respect of people from Nagaland returning to the state from other states or abroad. The government is in touch with various states, organizations, railways and airlines on how ways to bring the stranded people of the state back home, he said. Even though Nagaland is in the green zone, it is possible for the virus to enter into the state through people coming in from outside the state. The government does not want to take hasty decision and ends up with more complications later, he noted.
Plea for tentative date
We understand the Government’s approach in handling the evacuation process, however there are people with genuine problems who are unable to stay here any longer, Kath said.
“Those with proper accommodation and shelter are more than willing to stay back for the sake of everyone’s safety. But those who were stranded in the course of their temporary visit have nowhere to go now. Besides food and money, accommodation is another major problem for the stranded people,” Kath said.
Many working people have stopped receiving their salaries, while some are unable to access the CM relief fund due to unavailability of bank accounts. “The Union’s statement is on behalf of those who are facing genuine survival issues,” she added.
The desperation has increased so much that people are even willing to go home walking or fund their own evacuation, but for that, they need government permit and directive at the earliest, she added.
A tentative date from the government would help ease the people’s anxiety to a great extent, Kath said.
