10 Odisha Students Return Home From Violence-Hit Manipur

Bhubaneswar: Ten students from Odisha studying in Central Agricultural University, Imphal, arrived in Odisha capital on Sunday.

According to sources, the students landed at Biju Patnaik International Airport at 11.10 am and were received by Director of Odisha Paribar, Dilip Routray. They had boarded an IndiGo flight from Imphal airport last night (12.15 am) to Kolkata. The Odisha government had requested security for them while leaving the university for the airport.

Special arrangements were made for their transport and accommodation during transit, the CMO tweeted.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik later met the students at his residence here and presented them with hockey jersey. They thanked the CM and Odisha Paribar for the prompt efforts to bring them back from violence-hit Manipur.

Many students from the state were trapped in various medical and educational institutions with no food to eat and internet and ATMs having shutdown and they had appealed to the government to rescue them, citing examples of other states which had ensured safety of their students who were escorted to the airport by armed forces.

At least 52 people have been killed in Manipur since violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities broke out in an area bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts on May 3, following a ‘tribal solidarity march’ organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur,  The Indian Express reported. Many people with bullet injuries are also being treated at RIMS and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences.

Trains to Manipur have been cancelled due to the prevailing situation.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers from the Army and the Assam Rifles have been deployed in the state. There is a ‘shoot-at-sight’ order but it has not been exercised till now, media reports added.