The Andhra Pradesh government has made arrangements for two special flights to evacuate over 100 stranded students in violence-hit Manipur. Officials have stated that one plane carrying Andhra Pradesh students will land in Hyderabad, while the other will land in Kolkata. Upon arrival, the students will be directed to their respective hometowns. The expenses for both flights will be covered by the Andhra Pradesh government.
According to reports, approximately 70 students are currently stuck at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Imphal. Their families have urged the state government to arrange a special aircraft for their safe evacuation from the violence-affected area in Manipur. Concerned about the students' safety, parents have requested the Andhra Pradesh government to make similar arrangements as the Telangana government, which is deploying a special aircraft to evacuate its citizens.
To provide assistance to Andhra Pradesh students in Manipur, the Andhra Pradesh government has established a helpline and control room at AP Bhavan in New Delhi. The helpline numbers are 011-23384016 and 011-23387089.
In the meantime, the Andhra Pradesh government has released a list of 100 students stranded in Manipur. Among them, 23 students are studying at Central Agricultural University in Imphal, while the rest are enrolled at NIT, Imphal.
Earlier, the Resident Commissioner of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Aditya Nath Das, requested Manipur Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to arrange for escorts and security to ensure the safe passage of 150 students from Andhra Pradesh. He stated that contact has been established with the families of 100 students.
The Resident Commissioner also sent a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, requesting flights for the safe transportation of the 150 students.
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The clashes in Manipur began last Wednesday in Churachandpur district when tribal groups protested against the Meitei reservation following a high court order on March 27. The court had instructed the state government to submit a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks regarding the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status by the Meitei community.
Several petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court regarding the situation in Manipur, including one by a ruling BJP MLA challenging the high court's decision to grant ST status to the Meitei community, and another by a tribal organization seeking an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the recent violence in the northeastern state.
On Sunday, Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region, G Kishan Reddy, announced that the Central government was prepared to hold discussions to resolve the conflict in Manipur. Reddy stated that the Centre was flexible when it came to the welfare of the people and cited the withdrawal of three Farm Laws after demands from farmers to repeal the controversial regulations.