Manipur crisis: At least 136 Sikkimese students evacuated

siliguri: The Sikkim administration evacuated 136 Sikkimese students and working youths who were stranded in Manipur for five consecutive days.

The evacuees left for their homes from Sikkim Nationalised Transport depot in Siliguri on Monday.

Bhupendra Chhetri, the Joint General Manager of Sikkim Nationalised Transport said: “All arrangements were made by the Sikkim government to bring back the students. Every student is safe.”

The students thanked the Sikkim Government and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang for ensuring a safe return.

Namita Chhetri, a resident of Jorethang in Sikkim, studying MBBS in Manipur, said: “The situation in Manipur was terrible. We were not allowed to leave our homes. Army was deployed. Internet services were cut off. Thanks to the Chief Minister and the state government for saving us.”

It is learnt that a total of 136 students and working staff were stranded there. Among them, 133 were students and 3 had been working there.

The students were brought to Kolkata in a special flight from Imphal on Saturday. From there, some students returned to their parents and family members. The remaining 114 were brought to Siliguri by buses provided by the Sikkim government.

Arrangements were made for their stay in a hotel in Siliguri on Sunday night.

On Monday morning, 84 of them were sent to their homes in three buses to Sikkim. The rest of them returned home with their families.