The Sikkim government has brought back 128 students from ethnic violence-hit Manipur.

Chief minister P.S. Tamang said on Sunday that the students were brought to Manipur capital Imphal from across the northeastern state and from there they took a flight to Calcutta.

In Manipur, students from Sikkim study in a number of institutions such as the Central Agricultural University and the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, both located in Imphal.

“The students departed for Calcutta on Saturday. In Calcutta, buses were made available to ferry them to Siliguri. From there, buses of the SNT (Sikkim Nationalised Transport) will be pressed into service to bring them to their home state. The state government is bearing all the expenses,” an official said.

The evacuation, sources said, had been named Operation Gurans. Manipur has witnessed violence over protest by tribals against the long-standing demand of the majority Maitei community for Scheduled Tribe status.

After the violence broke out, chief minister Tamang had spoken with the Centre and N. Biren Singh, his counterpart in Manipur, and also with the defence forces and local authorities to bring back the students.

A helpline was also activated at the state secretariat so that any student stuck in Manipur could reach out to the Sikkim government for help.

“Officials of the CMO and those posted in Delhi, Guwahati, Calcutta and Siliguri were involved in the evacuation process. We believe the students will reach Siliguri by this evening,” the official said.

Along with the students, a resident doctor from Sikkim who had been posted at a far-off area in Manipur has been evacuated, said a source.