Naga students, families arrive in Kohima from violence-hit Manipur

Kohima (Nagaland) [India], May 7 : Assam Rifles along with the Nagaland State Police successfully evacuated more than 600 Naga students and families from violence-hit Imphal on Sunday.

The operation was led by Deputy Inspector General Ved Beniwal.

A total of 676 persons including 341 families were evacuated during this process.

Speaking to media persons, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton said that the State will ensure full cooperation with the Assam Rifles in ensuring the safe evacuation of the Naga persons at Mpur. He said that more than six hundred persons arrived today, and buses and taxis have been arranged for their designated hometowns.

Appealing to the stranded still in Mpur, he said that by tomorrow the State government will be sending fourteen buses to bring them home safely and requested them to be patient.

Deputy Inspector General Ved Beniwal, who led the evacuation's rescue operation, said they did face lots of challenges in gathering the people to a certain area, however with the help of the people, and the devise ways and means to see the problem somehow gathered the people together.

Further stated that there are more people yet to be evacuated and alot of coordination has to go in, and depending on the situation the Assam Rifle alongwith the State Government will take a call on it, he added.

Later under the State government, six buses were sent to Dimapur for further dispatch of people.

The rescue operation commenced on Saturday and reached the State Capital on Sunday evacuating more than six hundred civilians, more evacuations are stated to continue ensuring a safe return from Mpur.

Violence had erupted in Mpur in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.