With hundreds of people from Nagaland stranded in Manipur, director general of police (DGP) Rupin Sharma has assured that the State government was taking all measures to evacuate them.
Speaking exclusively to Nagaland Post at his office chambers here on Friday, Sharma disclosed that there were around 200 students at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal and over 50 students at Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal.
He said there could be around 800-900 people stranded in Manipur and claimed that the helpline team was collecting data.
He mentioned that the government had already drawn up a contingency plan to evacuate those stranded in Manipur.
“We have transport fleet like buses and vehicles with escorts ready to go to Manipur and bring back those wanting to come,” the DGP said.
He stated that the State government was also looking at the option of airlifting people if required.
DGP however remarked that the government would be able to carry out the exercise only when the situation in Manipur was conducive to bring back the stranded people.
He said the chief minister, deputy chief minister, ministers, chief secretary and police officials were closely the monitoring situation in Manipur.
He remarked that the Nagaland government could not make an independent assessment of the situation in Manipur, and go by the advice and assessment of Manipur government, Manipur Police and Central security forces.
Sharma said people from Nagaland, including the students, were safe and therefore appealed to the people of the State to maintain calm and peace.
With regard to complaints that the helpline numbers were not working, he claimed that the numbers were up and running as the control room personnel had been receiving hundreds of calls.
Meanwhile, deputy chief minister Y Patton appealed to all Nagas from Nagaland stranded in Manipur to contact the helpline numbers opened by the Home Department and Police Headquarters for necessary assistance and arrangements for evacuation.
In a press note, he also said he had spoken to Manipur chief minister Biren Singh over phone, requesting his intervention for the safety of students, employees, patients and businessmen from Nagaland staying or visiting Manipur. He mentioned that the Manipur chief minister had assured security and safety of all those from Nagaland.
Patton stated that he had also urged Singh to ensure that places of worship were not targets for arson and vandalism.
The Manipur chief minister assured that his office would coordinate with Nagaland government to ensure that there was no communication gap, that could lead to untoward incidents, the press noted stated.
On the other hand, while conveying his condolences to the people who had lost their lives, Patton also appealed to the people not to spread rumours that could fuel or exacerbate the situation.
“Nagaland and Manipur are good neighbours and we should live in harmony. We also pray for peace and understanding among groups in Manipur and hope that normalcy returns sooner than later in the ‘Jewel of North East’,” he stated.
Govt to evacuate stranded Nagas in a day or two
The State home department has informed that the government will be evacuating Nagas from nagalnd stranded in Imphal in a day or two.
In a press note, the department said that transport arrangements have been tied up though the movement was yet to start as security and logistic details were yet to be finalized in coordination with various agencies in Manipur.
The State government is doing all it can to facilitate the movement at the earliest, it added.
In this regard, the department has requested all to have patience and maintain calm.
It said that the control room has been in touch with the strandees and are details being collected as many have expressed their desire to come back to Nagaland.
The department also said that the state government was in touch with Manipur government to ensure the safety and security of the people of Nagaland stranded in Imphal.
Stranded Nagas appeal govt for evacuation
Correspondent
KOHIMA, MAY 5 (NPN): Even as the State government has opened a helpline for Nagas stranded in violence-hit Manipur, this was found to be ineffective as none of those stranded could be evacuated till now.
Some office-bearers of Nagaland Medicos Union, Imphal informed Nagaland Post that the Nagaland government had asked medical professionals and students to stay prepared for evacuation around 8 am on Friday.
However, they said they were informed late in the afternoon that road transport was not safe as Manipur government could only provide security only till Kangpokpi district (adjacent to Imphal) and none of them could be evacuated.
They further claimed that following the violence that started on May 3, a total lockdown was imposed in Manipur because of which the medical professionals and students at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal ran out of rations and were surviving on fast-food like noodles and tap water for drinking.
The union also alleged that security deployed at RIIMS campus was also withdrawn and that the warden had informed the medical professionals and students of the inability of authorities to ensure their safety and security.
They said the situation for Naga doctors posted in rural areas was even worse due to the prevailing situation and the inability of the Nagaland government to evacuate them.
Meanwhile, many complaints had been received on the helpline provided by the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority that the authorities were either unresponsive or slow in responding, even as students and professionals from Mizoram, Sikkim, Meghalaya, etc, had already been airlifted.
The stranded Nagas appealed to the State government to rescue them considering the volatile situation in Manipur at the earliest.
It was learnt that till Friday late evening, there was no confirmation from the Nagaland government as to when and how the stranded Nagas could be evacuated from the neighbouring State.