Himachal Pradesh students stuck in Manipur thank CM Sukhu for timely rescue

Keshav Singh, an MSc Mathematics student from NIT Manipur, recently arrived back in his hometown of Jol Lambri in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. On Wednesday, May 10, he shared his firsthand account of the unrest in the riot-affected state and expressed gratitude towards the Himachal government for their assistance. Keshav was one of the five local students who were successfully evacuated from Manipur.

According to the student, the situation in Manipur has deteriorated significantly. Incidents of houses being set ablaze and bombs detonating have become common occurrences. While the students are currently secure within the hostels, they express deep concern about the ongoing clashes, which continue to instil fear in their hearts, as mentioned in a report by PTI.

"We had never imagined that the help would come so soon when we messaged Chief Minister Sukhu for evacuation," Singh stated. The other four students brought back are Simran, Sujal Kaundal and Ashwani Kumar from Mandi, and Nawang Chhering from Kullu. Before reaching home, they met the Chief Minister in New Delhi and thanked him for his courtesy.

Sukhu had immediately responded to an urgent text message from a student stuck in Manipur. He shelled out Rs 60,000 from his own pocket for the evacuation of the five local students.

Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur last week after tribals organised a demonstration in 10 hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The clashes displaced around 23,000 people and resulted in the deaths of at least 54 people, as per PTI.