Over 200 Nagaland citizens rendered homeless as special train from Bengaluru deferred

‘Our excitement just vanished in the blink of an eye’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 27 (EMN): More than 200 stranded citizens of Nagaland were rendered homeless in Karnataka after the state-arranged special train from Bengaluru, which was scheduled to leave for Nagaland on May 28 and reach Dimapur by May 31, was postponed on Wednesday.

The special train was supposed to ferry about 1600 citizens of Nagaland who were stranded in Karnataka due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Principal Director of School Education Shanavas C, who is also the in-charge of stranded citizens of Nagaland staying outside the state, informed on Wednesday that the decision to postpone the special train was taken “considering the shortage of quarantine facilities”. He added that the re-scheduled date of the train is yet to be fixed.

The president of Naga Students’ Union Bangalore (NSUB) and convenor of Naga Task Force Bengaluru, Mughato Kiba, also informed that the special train scheduled to travel from Bengaluru to Dimapur on May 28 with 1610 passengers on board has been postponed.

However, hundreds of people from different parts of Karnataka had packed their belongings and were ready to proceed to Bengaluru for the much-awaited journey to Nagaland on Thursday. Much to their dismay, the state government announced a day before the scheduled date about the deferment, leaving many homeless.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, Kiba informed that around one hundred people from different parts of Karnataka had vacated their rented houses on Wednesday because of the scheduled special train service. He added that about another hundred had left their homes in Bengaluru to catch the train on Thursday.

“Many people are coming from far-flung places in Karnataka,” informed Zakietuo Noudi, vice president of NSUB. The stranded people were travelling to Bengaluru at their own expenses.

This newspaper also spoke to three private school teachers — Tolibo Achumi, Imsumenla Jamir and Kekhutonu Zhotso — who set off for Bengaluru from Kalaburagi district of Karnataka at 12 noon on May 27 via a private bus.

They informed that the district administration of Kalaburagi had called to remind them to move early for Bengaluru on Wednesday, but were in a dilemma in the middle of their journey due to the sudden announcement about the deferment of the train.

The deputy commissioner had called to inform them about the news but by then, it was too late as they had already vacated their place and had boarded the public transportation bus, where other passengers are also onboard to travel to Bengaluru.

The teachers said that they were “panic-stricken” as they couldn’t return to Kalaburagi district again.

“We felt like we don’t have any hope to go back home. We were exhausted, yet excitedly waiting for this day, but it just vanished in the blink of an eye,” said Achumi.

“Actually, I was on my way to Bengaluru by the time I heard about the cancellation of the train,” said Jamir. “I was somewhat shocked and at the same time helpless to go back since we already vacated the rooms and were on the way to Bengaluru,” she added.

Zhotso said, “Hearing about the cancellation of train, I’m indeed sad and depressed as we already started our journey by the time we heard the news.”

The NSUB leaders were caught in a difficult situation as they had to find shelters for those people who were already on their way to Bengaluru and have nowhere to go.

Kiba shared that some Christian institutes and NGOs were providing accommodations for those coming to the city while some might be required to stay at their friend’s places.

He added that he had informed the nodal officer in Nagaland about the situation but ‘till now, neither the government of Nagaland nor Karnataka have assured any aid for the stranded people.’