All Tripura students in Manipur safe: CM Manik Saha

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday claimed that all the students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur are safe.

More than 150 students from Tripura are stranded in Manipur.

"I have tried to talk to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh but could not because he is busy with official engagements. I have spoken to our chief secretary and DGP and instructed them to talk to officials of Manipur about the safety and evacuation of the stranded students", Saha told reporters.

The chief minister claimed the students from Tripura in Manipur are still in their respective hostels under CRPF security coverage and all of them are safe.

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Manipur and if the situation requires all the stranded students will be evacuated but we will not take any hasty steps," he said.

Saha said a 24X7 helpline has been set up to help the students of Tripura or anybody from the state stranded in Manipur.

"I have already spoken to a faculty of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and requested to collect contacts of all the medical students from Tripura in the insitutute", he said, adding contact has also been established with leaders of Tripura Students' Union in Manipur to know the ground situation.

The chief minister held meeting with the Chief Secretary, DGP and a senior CRPF officials and reviewed the situation in Manipur at Civil Secretariat here on Friday.

"The situation in Manipur is gradually limping back to normalcy as briefed by the CRPF officials present in the meeting. Our students are safe and protected there… ", Secretary to the Chief Minister P K Chakravarty told reporters.

More than 200 students of Tripura studying in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal and Central Agriculture University are stranded in Manipur due to the violence, he said, adding that the state is keeping close contact with the Manipur government.

The Imphal Valley in Manipur remained peaceful but tense on Friday, however, intermittent gunfights between militant groups and security forces were reported from the hill districts surrounding the valley.

Violence first erupted in Torbung area in Manipur’s Churachandpur district during the 'Tribal Solidarity March' organised by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Wednesday to protest the demand of Meiteis for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

During the march in Torbung, an armed mob allegedly attacked people of the Meitei community, leading to retaliatory attacks in the valley districts, which escalated the violence throughout the state, police said.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of population in Manipur and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, who include Nagas and Kukis, account for another 40 per cent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts which surround the Valley.