Pics/Sameer Markande

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's attempt to scare off North Indians from coming to work in Mumbai has not worked. A day after their activists attacked North Indian candidates who arrived in the city to appear for the railway recruitment board exams, most candidates MiD DAY spoke to are willing to return to the city if recruited. Most of the candidates came to the city only to appear for the exam and had been camping at railway platforms.

MNS activists attacked 13 of the 82 exam centres.

Lucky to escape

MiD DAY spoke to two candidates who were lucky enough to escape the wrath of the MNS.

Kanpur resident Vivek Kumar arrived in Mumbai on Saturday and was camping at Thane station. The 23-year-old was lucky that MNS activists did not storm his exam centre at the Viva College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar (W).

Though he is rattled by the news of the attacks, he asserts that he will return to Mumbai to appear for the exam. 

He adds that such incidents create fear in the minds of candidates, but that would not stop him from coming to Mumbai. "If I pass the exam and get selected I will surely come to work here." He had also appeared for the rail exam at Allahabad and Lucknow.

However, another candidate Sunil Kumar Thakur from UP said, "Kaun nahin darta hai gunda gardi se, gunda gardi se toh har koi darta hai."

But added, "If there are more exams in Mumbai, I'll come back here."

Thakur added that he had earlier appeared for the exam in other cities (Bhopal and Ranchi) too.