[ad_1]
By Rittick Mondal: They had gone to Manipur for higher studies but the recent violence left them stranded in the northeastern state. With law and order situation worsening in Manipur, several students from West Bengal sought help from their state government. And, less than a week after violence engulfed Manipur, 18 students from Bengal found themselves landing safely in Kolkata.
Clashes between tribals and the members of Meitei community in several districts had spiraled into unrest across Manipur. As the tension continued to grip the northeastern state, several states arranged special flights and established helplines to evacuate those who were left stranded in violence-hit Manipur.
On Monday morning, students hailing from Bengal were brought back to Kolkata on a special flight. They had gone to Manipur for higher studies and were left stranded in Imphal after violence broke out across the state. Some of them are PhD students, while some are enrolled in Masters programme at Central Agricultural University, Imphal.
Speaking to India Toay, students narrated their ordeal after they found themselves stranded in violence-hit Manipur
Paromita Das, a student who reached Kolkata on a special Indigo flight, said, “Situations were worst on first two-three days. There were incidents of bombing. Some of our friends, who were studying at the same university, and hail from Manipur, their houses were set on fire, we were told. We tried to reach out to our government and somehow managed to return to our homes”.
Sumit Das, another student, said, “There was no internet connection for last two-three days. We spoke to our families over phone, they all were worried. We heard gun shots and sounds of bombing.”
ALSO READ | Nearly 60 killed, 1,700 homes burnt: Manipur CM N Biren Singh
Dishari Das is a PHD student who is enrolled at the central university. She met her parents at Kolkata airport. Dishari said, “Our government was really helpful. 18 students from Bengal were stranded there. Many of the students from outside Manipur have been evacuated while some are yet to get out of Imphal. I thank our CM for the help”.
Dishari’s parent also thanked the West Bengal government for their help.
At Kolkata airport, the state governments has set up a special help desk for the people returning from Manipur.
ALSO READ | Manipur violence: State is burning, but what is the decades-old fuel behind the fire
HIGH AIRFARE OUT OF IMPHAL
Some students, who were evacuated from Imphal, said they had tried to book flights to Kolkata over the last couple of days, but the prices of fight tickets were two times, sometimes three times, higher than the usual fare.
Combined with higher fare, there are very few flights operating daily on this route. Even as people tried to book flight ticket from Manipur to Kolkata, they could not find vacancy in the next couple of days.
India Today checked with the airlines at Kolkata airport and here’s what we found:
With flights ticket prices soaring and situation still tense, students are reaching out to the Bengal government. The West Bengal government has also stepped up efforts to rescue other people from the state stranded in Manipur.
ALSO READ | ‘When something happens in Bengalâæ’: Mamata slams BJP over Manipur violence
ALSO READ | Home minister Amit Shah breaks silence on Manipur violence, saysâæ | Exclusive
[ad_2]
