The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana facilitated the return of 267 people stranded in violence-hit Manipur on Monday, May 8 and flown to Hyderabad. While the Telangana government facilitated the return of 106 civilians from Imphal, the Andhra Pradesh government brought back 161 Andhra students to Hyderabad.
In Telangana, Chief Secretary Shantikumari and DGP Anjani Kumar formed a special team to set up a control room at the DGP’s office. The people who were brought back included a couple from Bhainsa town of Nirmal district who returned with their one-month-old baby. Adharsh, the father of the child, expressed his thanks to the Telangana government for making efforts to bring them back to safety. Labour Minister Malla Reddy, accompanied by other officials, was at the airport to welcome those who returned to safety.
Meanwhile, the government of Andhra Pradesh coordinated with officials from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to arrange two additional flights for the stranded students, one bound for Hyderabad, and the other bound for Kolkata.
Flight No 6 E 3165 (A320) with 106 students landed in Hyderabad at 12:45 pm, while 55 students were brought to Kolkata by another flight 6 E 3152 (A320). Students who reached Kolkata are being brought to Hyderabad by three different flights. A total of 27 students will reach Hyderabad at 1:10 pm by 6 E 775.
The second batch of 15 students arrived in Hyderabad at 3:55 pm by 6E 874. The remaining 13 students will reach Hyderabad at 11 pm by 6E 6528.
Speaking to TNM, Gadela Goldwyn, a fourth-year engineering student from IIIT Manipur, said around 50 students were at the Kolkata airport awaiting their flight to Hyderabad. “Our campus is located in Mantripukhri, on the outskirts of Imphal. As soon as the arson broke out, our campus was locked, and outsiders weren’t allowed to enter our campus. We were safe within the campus. After a meeting, it was decided to call off classes from May 5. Over the weekend, we were informed that the Andhra government is making arrangements to bring us back home.
This morning (May 8), two buses were arranged along with police security to take us to the airport. We were then brought to Kolkata. There are students from NIT, Manipur too with us. In the evening we will take a flight to Hyderabad,” Goldwyn said.
Goldwyn hails from Andhra Pradesh’s Rajahmundry and hopes to reach home by May 9.
“The Andhra government paid for the flights and have also made arrangements for food and other necessities,” added Goldwyn.
Harshitha Chalamuri, a third-year computer science engineering student from NIT Manipur, was relieved on landing at the Hyderabad airport on Monday afternoon. She said, “There was violence around our campus located at Langol. However, inside the campus, we had no issues. Our parents were worried ever since the violence broke out. This morning (May 8), they flew us to Hyderabad from Manipur. Now that we have reached Hyderabad, they are relieved.”
Harshitha, who hails from Vizianagaram, was part of a group of 106 students who landed at Hyderabad on Monday at 12:45 pm on Indigo’s A320 flight. The batch had students from the Central Agricultural University, NIT Manipur and IIIT Manipur.
Speaking to TNM, Jagan Mohan Rao, another third-year engineering student from NIT, Manipur, expressed happiness about landing safely in Hyderabad. “I hail from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. My parents are relieved that we have reached Hyderabad. We are now being taken to Visakhapatnam. The government has made all necessary arrangements for us,” he said.
Over 160 students from Andhra Pradesh studying at NIT, IIIT and Central Agriculture University in Manipur were caught in the violence that has erupted in Manipur. Two helpline numbers were set up in Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, New Delhi, to establish contact between the students and their families back home (011-23384016, 011-23387089).
Officials said the data collected from the control room at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan enabled tracking the whereabouts of over 160 students, allowing to streamline the efforts towards ensuring the safe passage of all students.
A team of two officials from Andhra Pradesh Bhavan were deputed at Kolkata Airport to receive students and assist them with connecting flights to Hyderabad. APSRTC buses were arranged at Hyderabad Airport to pick up students and drop them at their respective hometowns in Andhra Pradesh.