Thirteen students from Haryana have returned home from violence-hit Manipur and three more are scheduled to reach here by Wednesday, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said.

Officials said 16 students from the state were studying in various institutions in Manipur.

The first batch of five students returned home late Monday via Delhi, Khattar told reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening. Eight more returned on Tuesday, he added.

Khattar said due to a rush of students from other states too returning from Manipur, tickets of the three remaining students were available for Wednesday.

According to an official statement, the state government made arrangements for accommodation of the students returning home at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi.

The first batch of five students who returned from Manipur hailed from Mahendragarh, Palwal, Sirsa and Rohtak. They told reporters in Delhi they were thankful to the Haryana government for the arrangements.

The students said after violence erupted in Manipur, they had appealed to the Haryana government to evacuate them safely. There was no direct flight from Manipur to Delhi and tickets were not available. The state government brought the students back to Delhi from Manipur's Imphal via Agartala and Kolkata with a flight travel time of about 9 hours.

Neha, a first-year MSc Mathematics student, hailing from Sirsa district, said, “The state government supported us a lot. They coordinated with us throughout, booked our flight and brought us home safely.” Jind resident Ritu, a PhD scholar in Chemistry at NIT Manipur, said every student contacted their state government after violence erupted in Manipur.

“We also contacted the Haryana government, which immediately started the process and brought us back home safely. We are thankful to the government for their support,” she said.

The students said officials were also in touch with their parents and informing them about their safety.

Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur last week after tribals organised a demonstration in the 10 hill districts 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.

UP homecoming, too

The Uttar Pradesh government has also brought back 62 students of the state from Manipur till Tuesday and they are being safely taken to their homes, according to an official release. Amid heightened tension in the northeastern state, the Yogi Adityanath government has stepped up efforts to bring back the stranded natives of Uttar Pradesh from Manipur.

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