Telangana citizens in Manipur can contact helpline number 7901643283 or email at email dgp@tspolice.gov.in. for assistance.
Published May 08, 2023 | 10:03 PM ⚊ Updated May 08, 2023 | 10:03 PM
Evacuated students. (Twitter)
The Telangana government on Monday, 8 May, successfully evacuated 105 people, including several students, to Hyderabad from Manipur, where an internal ethnic conflict has been escalating.
As per reports, 161 Andhra Pradesh students were also brought back by the Andhra Pradesh government.
This comes two days after the state government set up an emergency helpline for Telangana citizens stranded in violence-hit Manipur.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the ethnic clashes in Manipur rose to at least 55 as thousands were taken to shelter in military compounds in the state where internet services have been shut down.
Telangana citizens, including several students, arrived at Shamshabad airport in Hyderabad at around 1 pm in the first evacuation flight, while another batch of people came in around 4 pm.
Evacuated students of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at the RGIA. (Twitter)
“A total of 105 citizens reached safely today. Special flights were arranged for them from Imphal by the state government,” DIG Sumathi Badugula, who was looking after the evacuation operation, told South First.
She added that after taking details of all the people returned they were allowed to go back to their homes and meet their families.
The Telangana Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumar and the Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar, along with other government officials, oversaw the entire operation and formed a special team to set up a control room at the DGP’s office.
Citizens can contact the Telangana helpline number 7901643283 and DIG Sumathi Badugula for assistance.
The phone lines are open round-the-clock and citizens can also email dgp@tspolice.gov.in.
Students and their families were relieved after landing back to their home state.
Evacuated students of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at the RGIA. (Twitter)
Labour Minister Malla Reddy and several other government officials were at the airport to welcome those who returned to safety.
Special TSRTC buses were arranged to pick up the students at the airport and drop them.
BRS MLC K Kavitha shared a video of people who returned from Manipur.
“As soon as we asked for help, Telangana government immediately responded and made arrangements to bring us back to our native place… We thank CM KCR for this… We also thank the officers and other staff members. We were really worried how to bring back the five-day-old baby, but the government stepped in and made it easy and safe for us. We thank the chief minister on behalf of our family and entire Telangana,” Sai Prasad from Tanur mandal in Adilabad district said in the video.
Violent clashes broke out between tribals and people belonging to the majority Meitei community in Manipur on Wednesday, 3 May, displacing thousands of people and killing at least 55.
The clashes broke out after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was organised in the 10 hill districts to protest against the dominant Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
The Meiteis are largely Hindu, while the tribals are mostly Christians.
