The Union Home Secretary's announcement unmasking the Pakistani hand behind the flight of people from the north-east and the assurances given by the state administration, including the Chief Minister, Home Minister and DGP are likely to bear some effect in helping people from those states wing their way back home.

Thousands of employees and students have fled to the north-eastern states from the twin cities following rumours about attacks on them. The state government's repeated assurances had failed to stem the tide of those desperate to return to their home states, fearing attacks on them. At first, the Chief Minister and the DGP tried play down the flight of people from the north-east saying that they were returning to spend time with their families.

But as train after departing train kept getting packed beyond capacity, the situation became obvious to all. The Chief Minister, Kiran Kumar Reddy today announced that stringent security steps had been taken for the safety and well-being of all citizens, particularly those from the north-east. At a review meeting held at the Secretariat yesterday at which two ministers from Assam were present, the Home Minister, Sabitha Indra Reddy, assured citizens hailing from the nort-east of complete safety. The Assam ministers also appeared to be satisfied by the assurances given by the State government and the security measures put in place. They too told people from the north-east that there was no cause for panic and asked them not to succumb to rumours spread by anti-social elements.

The Union Home Secretary's announcement that Pakistani websites and anti-Indian groups were behind the MMSes doing the rounds made it increasingly clear to the government and citizens from the north-east that there was a larger conspiracy at work here.

In the light of this development, the state government expects employees and students from the north-east to return soon. Now that the diabolical Pakistani plot has been revealed, universities and companies from where thousands of students and employees left for their home states also hope that reason will prevail, and that the sense of insecurity and alienation will no longer gain ground.