Nagaland begins evacuation of people stranded in violence-hit Manipur

KOHIMA — Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton on Saturday said the state government is on the job to bring back people from the state stranded in Manipur, and they were likely to reach by tonight or tomorrow (May 7). 

A total of 22 buses were sent from Nagaland on Saturday morning and a few of them have reached Imphal, he told journalists after visiting injured persons from Kangpokpi who are undergoing treatment at Oking Hospital, Kohima. 

He added that the state requested Assam Rifles for security to go along with two state platoons, one Mahila IR battalion and another from the men’s IR battalion, for the evacuation of over 600 stranded people.

Earlier during the day, buses were detained at Senapati due to law and order situation. However, they were allowed to proceed to Imphal later after he requested the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to give clearance.

He added the evacuation will be a continuous exercise as 22 buses were not enough to bring over 600 people.

In a telephonic discussion with the Manipur CM, he was also given assurance that the Naga students will be ‘protected’. He added that Singh is “constantly in touch with him”.

Read: 54 dead in Manipur violence, Imphal Valley limping back to normalcy

Meanwhile, PRO Defence updated on Saturday that an Assam Rifles (AR) column under Brigadier Ved Beniwal would be picking up the Naga students studying in Imphal for their journey back to Kohima.

Students from the state have been asked to co-ordinate with each other and reach the pick-up points — Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Central Agricultural University (CAU) and Koirengei – on Sunday as per the time given by the officers.

Students have been asked to contact the officers accompanying the AR column: Major Hashir Ahmad – 7408200275 / 8162958214; and Asst. Commandant Tamang – 9862659130 / 8250599861. Guardians of the students also have been requested to keep in touch with Colonel Umesh Sati, Commandant 1st AR at 8650232211, and Lt Col Abhijit Pawar at 9839122908 for any information.

As reported by this newspaper earlier, the evacuation process of about 618 people from Nagaland stranded in Manipur began on Saturday. The state team, accompanied by senior officers, police officers, and forces, would go to Manipur by road and bring back the stranded people as there was some issue with flight evacuation at the moment, an official had told this newspaper on Friday.