Nepalese in India flee amid rumors

KATHMANDU - As the rumors about attack on Nepalese workers and students are rising in the southern states of India, Nepalese students and workers are fleeing from the region, according to Indian media reports Tuesday.

The attacks on Nepalese are rumored as they closely resemble the physical appearances of Indian citizens from Northern India.

According to the online reports in Times of India, more than 300 Nepalese workers fled on Sunday following rumors about potential threats.

In the recent spark of tension across India, with the cities of Mumbai, Lucknow and Allahabad witnessing violence as retaliation on North Eastern Indians against the alleged atrocities on Muslims, some 70 people have been killed and over 400,000 people displaced.

Likewise, talking to Xinhua, Umesh Shrestha, a Nepalese student in Banglore of India said that the situation has created a terror amongst the students with colleges asking them to remain cautious.

However, according to government officials in Nepal no reports of attack on Nepalese workers or students have been reported so far.

Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arjun Bahadur Thapa said that appeal have been made to the Indian government for the safety and security of Nepalese workers and students in India.

He also said that the attacks are not aimed at Nepalese people and no records of brutality on the Nepalese has been reported or recorded so far.

"However, it is necessary that they remain cautious. We advise them to carry identification cards and walk in groups," Thapa said.

Thapa also informed that the Nepalese Embassy in India has been in thorough contact with the authorities in India to ensure safety of the Nepalese population.